About
Hi and welcome to my journey to find common sense.
I have opened this blog dedicated to the Search for Common Sense. Why? you may be asking yourself. The answer is quite simple; I am a late-50′s woman who is fed up with being angry about the happenings in my world by people with obviously no common sense.
Throughout the years, I have heard many comments like; “She is smart but lacks any common sense.” or “He may have a doctorate but he doesn’t have any common sense.” I find it odd that ”any” is usually the quantitative measure, indicating that “no” common sense is present.
How can that be? How can one have a level of intelligence but possess no common sense? In seeking to answer that question I went to several dictionaries to obtain a definition of exactly what is common sense. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary provided a basic definition of common sense being: good sense and sound judgment in practical matters. The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary added another dimension by defining common sense as: sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. The Encarta® World English Dictionary, North American Edition further expounds upon the inclusion of perception by defining common sense as: sound practical judgment derived from experience rather than study.
Hmmmm??? If common sense requires no extensive study in particular area, but rather is simply arriving at a judgment based on past experiences, why is Voltaire’s (1694-1778) quote: “Common sense is not so common.” so true in today’s world?
I think the answer lies in the definition of common sense provided by Wiktionary: Ordinary good consciousness, awareness or understanding of something, arrived at though taking in account recent events and thoughts of others involved, used for the greater good of all involved.
It seems to me the problem with having, or I should say, not having common sense lies in the use of knowledge, not the possessing of knowledge. I believe everyone has common sense, they just choose not to use it for the greater good of all involved. Instead, individuals all the way up to governments choose to make decisions in their best interest for wants and desires based on rationalizations from any number of fields of knowledge except for common sense.
Through this blog I will attempt to find common sense solutions to problems facing the world in which I live. I enjoy the hunt through research and getting several perspectives before making up my mind on an issue. I do consider myself to have an open mind, one with common sense.
Thanks for visiting my blog and do make a comment to my posts. I have broad shoulders and thick skin! Evelyn
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