What is common sense? Why does it seem like some people have it and other people don’t? Do people look at me and think I don’t have common sense?

These are all questions that I ask myself from time to time wondering how some have gotten through life without thinking as I do. I constantly ponder about how differently I view aspects of life from others. It can be mind-boggling sometimes when I see something that clearly goes against common sense.

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Let’s look at a couple of definitions:

Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.

Merriam-Webster

Sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.

Dictionary.com

The basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way.

Cambridge Dictionary

After looking at these, it sounds like common sense is a generic level of useful knowledge or judgment to make decisions that lead to a safe life.

Picking apart my summarization further, what is useful knowledge? What is practical judgment? What is a “reasonable way”? These are all subjective! That’s why I think that common sense isn’t so common.

It’s because I define what knowledge is useful, what judgment is practical, and what a reasonable life looks like and that is different from somebody else. Your definition may be very similar to my definition or it could be very different.

We can probably agree that it is common sense to look both ways before crossing the street. I also whole-heartedly believe that it is much safer to not wear noise-canceling headphones while going for a run and crossing the street. To me, that is a death sentence. And yet, I see people doing that all the time in rush-hour traffic.

Universal Common Sense

So, if we can agree on some things as meeting the criteria for common sense and others do not, is there a threshold that qualifies some knowledge but not others? What if I tell you, “Sky diving is perfectly safe, you just need to have some common sense”?  

Because of the definitions given above and the subjectivity of each definition, it is up to each person to determine what is common sense and what is not. A lot of generic tips and tricks are usually taught at a young age. To live a safe life, I was told not to play in traffic and always look both ways.

As I have learned more in my adult life, I know that I shouldn’t spend money I don’t have (even if it’s on a credit card). I know I need to pay my bills on time because those are obligations that I am responsible for. If I want to lose weight, I know that it is calories in versus calories out.

If I want to build my mental health, I know that continuous learning is important as well as periodic breaks to give my mind a rest. I know meditation is a great way to connect with myself spiritually. To me, these are all common sense actions to improve all areas of my life.

Why Isn’t It So Common?

Everybody is different. Everyone has their area of expertise. And that is okay! Something I’ve been working on is recognizing that people do not know as much about a topic as I do. Basic concepts in my area of expertise seem like common sense to me, but they won’t to someone else.

So next I get frustrated with someone about something they did, or how I cannot believe they didn’t know how to do this, I need to realize that everyone had a different upbringing. They were taught something different, learned from different experiences than I did, and that made them grow into different people.

It can be very hard to not go crazy when you clearly see someone else acting against your common sense. But understand that your perspective is based on what you know. Pause and take a deep breath so that you can do your best to have a conversation with them to understand why what they’re doing makes no sense to you.