I Admire Common Sense

My mom and I were trying to figure out what common sense was. By that I mean, we were talking about what we confided common sense and trying to figure out how it is learned. Some of the stuff I find to be common sense, she doesn't and vice versa. Maybe not the best example, but one thing we were talking about is shoving a knife in an outlet. If you've never tried it or never heard anybody tell you not to, would it still be common sense to you? What do you think common sense is defined as and how do people acquire it?

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SWisGoingWoke · M

As with your example of the knife+outlet, some common sense is acquired via experience. Same with playing on the freeway...it will teach you the harsh realities of physics very quickly!

What we all need and I think want is the ability to reconcile our desires with reality and acquire knowledge without the pain and suffering of shoving a knife in an outlet.

It is popular to point out that in "the past" this was commonly done through intergenerational interaction, and that this interaction is becomming less common due to the breakup of the nuclear family (where the parents and offspring lived with each other or with multiple generations under one roof or within close proximity. It's often referred to as "The Walton Family" experience...referring to the popular TV show of the 70's which depicted grandparents, parents, and children all living together in one house. There is a lot of truth to this.

But just living together won't magically pass wisdom from one generation to the next...it requires attitude. Specifically, an attitude of respect. The "they've been there done that" kind of respect that presents a young person (and sometimes an old person) to be a willing recipient of "truth" from someone else.

It doesn't have to be family. Many people find that kind of common sense through various schools, public and private, trade and fine arts. Some find it in the work place with mentor relationships.

The one necessary ingredient that is often missing though, in my opinion, is the attitude of "they have something I can learn"...without which there's little chance of acquiring anything of value, let alone common sense.

Thank you for posting something of great value! Keep thinking like this!!!

kimtin33 · 26-30, F

I like your point about the family unit. I learned people skills from my mother, which she considered common sense and electrical, mechanical, and building from my father, which he considered common sense. Neither of them considered the others common sense.
I was thinking about google. I've heard people say, why do we have to learn this if we can just google it. If you find it on google and can find it again of needed, are people as likely to remember it? Or would common sense be something you could google itself? Do you think google has degraded common sense?

bobydob · 56-60, F

common sense is literally life skills hun. for example....if you wanted to test the depth of water ..common sense would tell you not to do it with both feet at the same time 😆

kimtin33 · 26-30, F

@bobydob: Does it change with time? I was thinking, now there are a lot of thing that are done only on computers. Would computer skills more so be concerned common sense as people use them more and more? What other things could change? My dad conciders wiring common sense. Is that general life skills or just something he's good at?

bobydob · 56-60, F

@kimtin33: i wouldnt say wiring is common sense kimtin..i would class that as a learned skill...common sense is just something that you do for yourself to avoid danger..or just basically ensure rightness...its not something you would sit a course for etc, whereas wiring and any other kind of manual work is.

is something was in a fire you would use your common sense to not attempt to touch it without protection.

if something needed rewiring you would research to learn what to do

hope this helps