How do you normally play a video game? Easy, Normal or Hard?

I start out by playing Normal most of the time. But if the game proves to be too hard for me starting out I start at Easy mode and go from there. I see Easy more or less as a practice mode to show you the ropes. Than as I get better and know how things work and how the enemy NPC's work. Than I can better anticipate things and play better, than I move up in difficulty as I improve. 

Ditto here. Unless it involves the Super Star Wars Trilogy, I play that on Easy.

Normal for me as well.

Even though I tend to play games for the story and less for the challenge, I think sometimes easy is just too easy.

75% or hard before very hard.

I always start on normal. I like to get my bearings on a game. If I feel rugged, I will beat it and replay it on hard. Most times I don't have the time to replay a game though. Work, the comic and other stuff totally eat my time. 

First run I usually play on default difficulty. Then, in rare second run cases, I play on hardest. But I must say that there are only two games which I finished more than once: Far Cry and Doom 3. + after that those two games were speedrunned by me on easiest difficulty.

In some cases I increase the difficulty a little (Serious Sam series is a good example)

And I like to play custom ArmA 3 and Operation Flashpoint missions on the hardest difficulty possible (switching on some AI addon can be a good thing. Or just adding more enemy units on the battlefield lol).

Depends on how I feel.  I usually start things off in Normal, sometimes I start playing the game on Easy so I can get a feel for the games mechanics.

I hate playing of hard.  I am a petty and lazy person.  Once I'm done with normal, I don't play it on hard.  The only time I played Hard on the first try was on Metal Gear Solid just to prove a point.  God, I was insane to do that.  Finished it and never played the game again.