Common Sense

Smart people don't always do smart things; sometimes smart people can do confoundedly irrational things like gambling away all their money on the stock market, or forgetting to take adequate clothing for a back country hike in the middle of very changeable weather. Whatever your background, training, IQ, or experience, common sense can be learned and applied to everyday situations.^[1] And while it may seem provocative to suggest that smart people don't use common sense, this deliberate association is merely to highlight thateveryone has lapses in common sense, and that the more we're trained to think one way (by our workplace, family, culture, etc.), the greater the chance that sometimes we allow sloppy or auto-pilot thinking to take the place of common sense. Common sense isn't a one-stop-destination; it's a way of thinking that needs constant nourishing and application, and this article provides one way of looking at developing your common sense a little further.

Trust yourself. If you put in the constant hard yards of thinking things through carefully for yourself as well as learning all that you can about the world and other's thoughts about the world, you're well placed. You don't have to be highly educated; you do have to be open-minded and curious. And realize that this is a process, not a destination. You will have to make the mental effort throughout your life as to which messages you absorb and which people you allow to influence your thinking. Even this article is but one source of guidance on common sense – analyze it, critique its applicability to your own circumstances, and cherry pick, discard, or adopt those things that suit you or don't fit with you. After all, doing so just makes plain common sense.