No matter how silly they say something sounds, or the date. I will automatically assume someone is being serious unless they say it’s a joke after saying it because if it isn’t a joke and I take it as a joke that could be harmful. I’ve been bedbound due to CFS for the last 7 years so I don’t have a good idea of what is normal and what is not anymore.
Not saying you ARE definitely neurodivergent, but difficulty with jokes and sarcasm to the extent you’re describing is not neurotypical behavior. Basically, no, the behavior is not normal, it’s atypical.
Regarding your longer comment, having rigid, unconventional, self-made rules is another behavior I see in a lot of the neurodivergent individuals I work with. Again, not saying you definitely are neurodivergent, but these are not neurotypical behaviors
The reason the rule is rigid is so I can avoid getting hurt. I don’t want to delve too deeply into my psychiatric history but let’s just say I have a ton of anxiety and instability in my world views relating to being shamed by my family in the past for doing the “wrong” thing, and them reacting in a way that is wildly disproportionate to what I did wrong (I once had a family member give me death threats for forgetting to turn a lamp off, for example). Doctors have said I may have BPD.