Does everybody have common sense?

Thanks ehBeth! Yeah, you and Ragman's definition/description makes more sense to me. Thanks for the example too. That made it even easier to understand.

I don't really get what you're trying to say. The way you're saying it sounds a little more complicated than it needs to be. Maybe common sense is a mixture of logic and critical thinking. Right?

I think they are the opposite.

Think of all the situations in real life where you, or someone else, have said something is "common sense".

Once you use this phrase you stop thinking. This phrase means (at least in my experience) that whatever you are saying is assumed to be true because everyone should just understand it the same as you do.

When I am being logical or using critical thinking I am giving the reasons I believe something is right. Something that is logical can be challenged with logic and critical thinking means questioning things even when they seem right to you or people around you.

If "common sense" meant the same thing as logic and critical thinking, we wouldn't need the term. We would just call it logic. Of course this would mean that we would stop making unquestionable assumptions about things or assuming that everyone should think the same way we did.

To me "common sense" is the opposite of logic and critical thinking. And in my experience when this term is used it means something that someone feels you shouldn't question but just accept as right.

Oh! I see what you're saying! But I dont really think common sense is assumed to be true. I think that it's learned to be true. Does that make sense?

Like for example: A kid puts his hand in fire and it burns his hand. Well now, common sense would tell him not to put his hand in fires anymore because they'd get burned. He's now gained some common sense. Am I right?

I don't think there is a difference. Prejudice is "learned". Humans are very good at "learning" things without logic or reason. It is a bad habit if you assume something without thinking or questioning. It is an equally bad thing if you learn something without thinking or questioning.

As a kid I rode a bike and I fell and took banged myself pretty up pretty good. It hurt. By your argument common sense would tell me not to ride a bike anymore because I will get hurt. But I still went back to ride my bike and I still enjoy bike riding today.

The difference between your fire example and my bicycle example is logic and understanding. I didn't just learn an unquestioning fear of fire. I understand the certainty of pain putting my hand in fire, but more importantly I leaned the why and how. I learned when fire is safe and useful. I now know about heat and burning and I know that there is no benefit to sticking my hand in the fire while I learned to cook marshmellows.

I also learned that even though I may occasionally get in an accident on my bike (damn car doors), I know that I will likely not hurt myself seriously. And I know that my enjoyment is worth it.

In each case it is better that I don't avoid questioning and that I keep thinking and understanding. In any case logic and reason and understanding are sufficient. I don't need common sense.

Think about how easy it is to learn the wrong "common sense" from your experience. Racism is often based on things you see on television, or even specific experiences. Humans often draw the wrong lesson. Look at what has happened to Muslim American families who are decent people but are treated with suspicion or even cruelty because of what people "learned" by what they saw on television.

Common sense is called common for a reason. It is common knowledge held by a group of people. Sometimes the knowledge is universal and other times it's specific to a certain place or people.
For example, everyone know that if something goes up, it will eventually come down. But we've all witnessed someone throwing a ball or rock up in the air and watching it bounce off their head. Chances are the idiot will never throw anything strait up again, but will probably from then on throw objects slightly askew. Common sense is sometimes learned the hard way and sometimes all it takes is a warning, don't touch the hot stove. We all get a burn at one time in our lives, but most of us don't need to be told twice.
Sometimes it takes a person a lot of lessons to learn they cant lick a lamp post in the middle of winter, or run across a busy street before they get hit. They might be considered ideal candidates for the Darwin Awards. Not every idea is a great one. Sometimes if people just thought about whatever dumb thing they'd done, they'd have saved themselves the trouble.
However, if you were to visit the Middle East and you were invited to dinner and you ate your meal with your left hand... some people there might laugh at your lack of "common" sense - for not understanding common practice. This is the basic premise of the 'fish out of water' movies.
Common sense, no matter how you pick up on it, is a set of rules or practices of everyday life we all tend to understand intuitively.

I tend to agree with Max. Common sense tells me that the world is flat and the sun goes around and around it somehow. Common sense would tell me that if one of something is good for me, 20 of the same thing would be 20 times better. So I take 20 aspirin for a headache and end up in a coma.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
Herbert Spencer

Oh! You're soo right. Now I get what your saying.

Thanks for that!

Yeah, what you said makes sense too. Your great at explaining things.

I agree. I think everything that people said here is right. Great answers guys. You're awesome teachers.

Gracie, you respond with such diplomacy and (shall we say) grace. That is a sign of uncommon sense. And, uncommon sense is a very good thing to have indeed.

I specialize in nonsense, which sometimes comes in handy as well.

as John Prine would say

You can't live together
You can't live alone
Considering the weather
Oh my, how you've grown
From the men in the factories
To the wild kangaroo
Like those birds of a feather
They're gathering together
And feeling
Exactly like you

They got mesmerized
By lullabies
And limbo danced
In pairs
Please lock that door
It don't make much sense
That common sense
Don't make no sense
No more

Just between you and me
It's like pulling
When you ought to be shovin,
Like a nun
With her head in the oven
Please don't tell me
That this really wasn't nothing

One of these days
One of these nights
You'll take off your hat
And they'll read you
Your rights
You'll wanna get high
Every time you feel low
Hey, Queen Isabella
Stay away from that fella
He'll just get you
Into trouble, you know?

But they came here by boat
And they came here by plane
They blistered their hands
And they burned out their brain
All dreaming a dream
That'll never come true
Hey, don't give me no trouble
Or I'll call up my double
We'll play piggy-in-the-middle
With you

You'll get mesmerized
By alibis
And limbo dance in pairs
Please lock that door
It don't make much sense
That common sense
Don't make no sense
No more

Haha! Thanks Maxdancona! You're smart and you're funny. Thanks soo much for your help.

Thumbs up!

Actually, Gracie, the correct answer to your original question -- "Does everybody have common sense?" -- is: "Unfortunately, yes."

Great post, merry A.

Haha! Sounds silly, but totally true!

common sense is a thoughtfull awareness, way of making decision,(cognetive development applies here) and ability to distinguish from do and don't from any common incident that tense to have an occurence history. Human usually gather this from all areas of there life. Further more, there are common things that everybody know pro and cons of it. for example; you are not expected to be told not to put your hand into the fire, before you know that fire do burn things (this is part of what you aquire from cognitive developmental stage of live)

I agree: common sense is too damn common. It's uncommon sense that is rare.