_ Smart people don't always do smart things;
sometimes smart people can do confoundedly irrational things like
throwing 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 that everyone_ 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 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.
!! Steps !!
_ Familiarize yourself with the purpose and
meaning of common sense. According to Merriam Webster, common sense
is about exercising "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple
perception of the situation or facts".[2] This definition suggests
that common sense depends on not over-complicating the situation
(simple), applying experience and general knowledge to the situation
(sound and prudent judgment), and implicit in this is self-trust that
your considered experience is valid for future situations. Karl
Albrecht calls common sense practical intelligence. He defines it as
"the mental ability to cope with the challenges and opportunities of
life".[3] He explains that common sense is situational, dependent on
context, and that your common sense in one aspect of your life might
be excellent while failing abysmally in another aspect of your life.
As to the purpose of common sense, it is basically thinking that
prevents you from making irrational mistakes or decisions, a thinking
approach that opens your eyes to the possibility that insisting on
being right might be preventing you from seeing the bigger picture.
* Common sense can also serve the purpose of removing you from being
hidebound to rules, theories, ideas, and guidelines that would
hamper or stifle the best decision in a particular situation. In
other words, just because something says so, or just because it
has always been done that way, are not reasons to abandon common
sense about present needs and changed circumstances.
Understand the ease with which the human mind
is convinced it's right contrary to indicators
clearly demonstrating otherwise. We're human,
we're fallible. And our brains work in certain
ways as a means of providing shortcuts to
ensure survival in a world where being chased
by predators could end your life. In a modern
world where caves and saber toothed tigers are
no longer a constant companion, some of that
reactive, split second judging can land us in
hot water as we react instead of reflect,
assume instead of tease apart the realities,
and follow habit instead of challenging its
continued utility. Some of the things our
amazing mind is capable of doing to override
common sense include:
* Maintaining our own sense of reality out of proportion with
identifiable reality. While each of us creates a reality out of
our own experiences and makes sense of our world through this
personal lens, for the most part, we understand that our sense of
reality is only a small portion of a much larger picture. For some
people, however, their sense of reality becomes the only sense of
reality and they believe that they can manipulate or magically
transform situations to turn out the way they want them to be. In
steps irrational behavior for some, and insanity for the less
fortunate.
* Reflex or associative thinking. This is reactive thinking that is
based simply on what we've learned through life, reenacting
learned models and applying them to each new situation as it
appears, without_ modifying the thought processes being applied.
This type of thinking leads to errors in thinking because we
refuse to push beyond standard associations formed in our mind
about how things "should be". When we apply what we know to a
present situation by reference to a similar past situation by
merely applying our mind's template without adjusting for the
context, we're overriding common sense. Even where this template
is a bad fit, the insistent or biased mind just ignores the parts
of the template that don't fit by trimming them off mentally and
only seeing the parts that "match". Hence, we have our problem
solved without thinking it through. This type of thinking tends to
make us easily swayed by current popular theories and fads, such
as the current tendency in some societies to control social
opinion through inflating fears of germs, criminals and
terrorists, and job unavailability.
* Invoking absolute certainty. Absolutist black and white thinking
about the world and others in it in a way that never allows space
for doubt is often a cause for forgetting to apply common sense.
For such a thinker, the "one true way" is the only way and
therefore _seems_ like common sense even though it isn't.
* Pigheadedness. A simple unwillingness to be wrong. Ever. Founded
on any number of reasons including insecurities, fear,
incomprehension, anger, and fear of ridicule, pigheadedness is the
cause of many an irrational and unjustifiable decision or action.
_ Divorce yourself from reality. This isn't an
invitation to insanity. This is a request to consider that your_
sense of reality isn't real. What you see is what you've programmed
your brain to see. And once you start down the slippery slope of
self-confirmation that reality is only ever what you see it as,
you're open to the possibilities of bigotry, selfishness,
intolerance, and prejudice because you'll constantly seek to make
everyone and everything else conform to _your_ standard of reality,
and your standard of "what's right".[4] By divorcing yourself from
this one-sided reality, and learning as much as you can about how
other people perceive the world and our place in it, you begin to
make room for common sense to grow because your sense is built on
"common" experiences, not just your own.
* Start by taking a look at your own emotions, beliefs, and
practices to make sure they're not overriding your common sense.
Test different scenarios in your mind to try and ascertain the
practical consequences of applying the decision or action the way
you want to. Is it practical, have you accounted for everything,
and what will happen if things go wrong? If things go wrong, can
you fix them and if you can't, what will be the consequences?
* Consult with others. If your reality is clouding your judgment too
much, reach out and discuss the situation with others to gain
wider appreciation of their perspectives and ideas. This is most
important where you are too close to a situation and any decision
or action you take might be infected by your proximity.
_ Acquaint yourself with your reflective mind.
This is the part of your thinking where true common sense resides.
The part that takes a bit of time out from the cleverness, the
brightness, the importance of everything rushing at you right now
and suggests that it's time to add a dose of cold water to the
excitement. Reflective intelligence is about being able to stand
back and view the bigger picture so that you realistically appraise
the situation or environment directly around you rather than forcing
yourself to conform to its suitability or practicing wishful
thinking. After an accurate appraisal of the situation, a reflective
mindset enables you to set goals that are realistic given the
parameters you're working within, and to take sensible actions
toward meeting those goals.[5] Daniel Willingham cites examples of
people who throw money at the stock market, or people who choose
unsuitable life situations as people who made decisions or took
actions without using reflective thinking. Rationalizing that
external signs seem fine while ignoring complete mismatches to the
person you are or the beliefs you hold is a denial of common sense.
In other words, just because other people do or use something
effectively isn't a sign that it will suit you too; you need to put
your own reflective mind to work on each situation to decide whether
it will be a fit for you, your lifestyle, and those around you
directly impacted by your decisions.
* Do less, think more. Siimon Reynolds says that many of us are
suffering from "Obsessive Do-Itis".[6] This simply means we're
obsessed with doing more all the time instead of thinking. And
while we're running around frantically being busy all the time,
we're not being productive and we're contributing to a culture
that admires incessantly busy people. Is this common sense?
Hardly. It is about working harder and longer without taking time
out to reflect.
* Allocate thinking time every single day, even if it's only 20
minutes. Siimon Reynolds suggests that you try this for one week,
and says that at the end of it, you'll notice much reduced stress
levels.[7] And your common sense will improve markedly.
Sometimes your thinking has to be fast - but based on
what?Reacquaint yourself with your rapid cognition. The previous
step has just suggested that you need to reflect more before you
take decisions or act. But the obvious flipside to reflection is
the reality that some things need very fast thinking and rapid
decisions that will produce sound results. Rapid cognition is
the type of thinking that tells you that you're not going to
connect with a person the moment that you meet them, or that a
poorly placed ladder is going to fall sooner rather than later
and needs to be shifted pronto, or that you need to quickly jump
out of the way of an out-of-control car now_. How do you marry
rapid cognition to reflective thinking under the rubric of
"common sense"? It's simple - spend your reflecting time wisely
so that you will react wisely when quick thinking is required.
Common sense builds on your reflection over past experiences,
enabling you to refine your understanding of the world and how
it works time and time again. This is in contrast to a person
who only ever reacts on gut reactions, biases, and has failed to
reflect on prior experiences. Reflection will bring about sound
"gut reactions" or fast assessments of situations because your
reaction is based on having taken the time to work through
errors and successes of past experiences.
* Malcolm Gladwell says in _Blink_ that "decisions made very quickly
can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and
deliberately".[8] The problem arises when we want something to be
other than what it really is - falling back into our own idea of
reality rather than the many realities around us. And that's when
our common sense fails us.
_ Learn things that are basic common sense.
There are things that every human being should know how to do and
not leave to another person, things that go to the heart of personal
survival, self-knowledge, and long-term health and safety. In this
way, you can learn common sense through practical knowledge and
application, informing you accurately when times are harder or when
you must react quickly. Some of the common sense basics that every
human should know include:[9]
* Knowing how to cook and how the food gets to your table._ For
every person who proudly proclaims that he or she does not know
how to cook, there is a person easily persuaded by others that any
food is suitable for them, no matter how unhealthy or how
unethically or unproductively sourced. It's no badge of honor to
not know how to cook for yourself; it's often a sign of laziness
or a rebellion against supposed domesticity. Knowing how to cook
is basic common sense because it will ensure your healthy survival
under any conditions. And, no matter how infrequently you use this
skill, it's enjoyable and rewarding.
* _Knowing how to grow your own food._ Being able to grow your own
food is an assurance of self-survival. Learn the skill if you
haven't already and instill it in your kids.
* _Knowing about nutrition._ If you're cooking for yourself, and
perhaps growing your own food, you'll be more connected with your
body's need for healthy nutrition. Eat healthily most of the time,
in moderation, and with an eye to meeting all appropriate
nutritional needs for your age, gender, height, and personal
conditions.
* _Knowing and respecting your surrounds._ It's common sense to know
what local conditions impact your life, from weather to wildlife.
Take the time to get to know your local environment and respond to
it appropriately, from adequately weatherproofing your home to
removing invasive species from your garden.
* _Knowing how to budget and not spend more than you're earning._
It's common sense to only spend what you have. Sadly, many people
manage to forget this in an orgy of frequent over-spending,
behaving as if a bulging credit card debt came as a complete
surprise to them. Over-spending is an irrational habit, as is
hiding unopened bills at the back of a closet; reining in the
spending with a budget and self-restraint is common sense in
action. And make sure to get all important financial decisions and
agreements in writing, from loans to sales; you can never be too
careful when it comes to money.
* _Knowing the limitations of your own body._ This includes knowing
which foods wreak havoc with your body, which foods work for you,
knowing how many hours of sleep you need, and knowing the type of
exercise that benefits your body and metabolism best; read widely
but work out for yourself what harms and heals your body, as
you're the real expert on this topic. Moreover, you're no super
hero - ignoring bodily injuries is done at your own peril, such as
continuing to carry heavy loads with an aching back, or refusing
to acknowledge constant pains.
* _Knowing how to analyze situations and think for yourself._
Instead of digesting the pulp media thrown at you every day, and
ending up in a state of fear because every second news item is a
crime or disaster, start thinking about the reality behind the
newsfeed and start thinking about life and happenings with a
healthy, open, and questioning mindset. Help free others from the
fear media by teaching them how to recognize the tactics used.
* _Knowing how to repair items._ In a world heavily dependent on
disposal of items rather than repairing them, we're adding to the
Earth's burden. And, we're beholden to those who manufacture items
with in-built obsolescence because we've lost the ability to
tinker and fix things ourselves. Learning how to fix or mend
clothes, appliances, household objects, car engines, and many
other items that are important to our daily functioning, is not
only liberating but is also an important way to exercise our
common sense.
* _Knowing how to plan in advance._ So that you're not doing things
haphazardly, more expensively, or without an idea of the
consequences, learn to plan ahead. Forward thinking is always a
sign of good common sense, as is being able to review the
consequences of different outcomes.
* _ Be resourcefulKnowing how to be resourceful._ Resourcefulness
is the art of "making do"; it's about taking small things and
making them go a long way with with a little imagination and elbow
grease. It's about being able to thrive under difficult conditions
and still prosper and not feel deprived. Resourcefulness is a key
part of using common sense, and again, it's a skill that liberates
you from consuming to live.
* _Knowing how to connect with community._ It's common sense to be a
part of your community; unfortunately many people prefer to bunker
down and remain aloof or unhindered by the others around them.
Connecting with others in your community is part of being human,
of relating, and of opening yourself up to sharing and generosity.
* _Knowing how to keep safe._ Whether you're in public or at home,
safety is a matter of common sense. Pushing saucepan handles away
from you on the stove, looking both ways when crossing the street,
walking with a friend or group in dark areas of the city at night
instead of being alone, etc. All of these are common sense safety
actions that can be planned for and put into action before
anything harmful happens; and doing so will often avert problems
altogether. Think prevention, not disaster.
Put new commonsense thinking habits into place.
Take the philosophy, the psychology, and the
popular theories behind how we think and add
this understanding to the active ways in which
you can use your common sense. Read How to
think "outside of the box" to get some great
ideas for restoring your sense of relying on
your own innovative thinking processes. And
Karl Albrecht suggests that the following
methods will help to keep your practical
intelligence (common sense) in top shape (and
it's recommended that you read his book in its
entirety):[10]
* Practice mental flexibility. This is the ability to stay
open-minded and to listen to other people's notions and ideas,
even if they scare you or derail your own thinking. It does you
good to practice mental elasticity and to stretch yourself beyond
the things you think you know already.
* Use affirmative thinking. This is the way of perceiving yourself
and others in a positive manner, always looking to see the best in
others and yourself, and making constant conscious decisions about
who or what you will allow yourself to be influenced by, and what
you will consider worthy of devoting your thinking time to. This
isn't as simplistic as chanting affirmations or thinking happy
thoughts; the mental work required to maintain an affirmative,
conscious mindset is hard but rewarding.
* Rely on semantic sanity. This is about using language to support
clear thinking freed from dogma.
* Value ideas. This concept leads you to accepting new ideas rather
than immediately knocking them on the head as unfamiliar, insane,
or undoable. How do you know they don't match your viewpoint until
you've worked through them? Equally, valuing ideas encapsulates
the need to reflect often, for without adequate time for
reflection, you'll fail to come up with your own ideas.
* 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.
!! Tips !!
* Popularity does not equate to common sense. Think about the
proverbial lemmings leaping off the cliff before falling for this
one.
* Manipulative and controlling strategies do not equate to common
sense. These are signs of people who wish to change reality and
cause other people to fit in with their notions of reality. You
can't change this type of person, so unless you're paid to hear
their woes, use your common sense and keep a good distance from
them.
* Generalizations are not common sense. They are generalizations
based on someone's view of things as they stood at the time the
generalization was made. Always question a generalization. The
excuse "because it's always been done like this" is a
generalization in sheep's clothing. Probe any deeper and you'll
find that the speaker cannot pinpoint the exact moment that the
generalization became the norm and one from which nobody can ever
deviate.
* Ancient wisdom can be helpful but it can also hinder. It all
depends on the context of when the "wisdom" was developed and
whether it stands the test of time or not.
* Ask people why they presume something to be so. Often we are so
used to just nodding our head and swallowing the cliches as
culturally ordained that we forget it's OK to ask someone why they
have stated something to be so. For example, if your friend tells
you that it's not safe to go outside at night because strangers
exhibit only 1 percent goodwill and everyone's a robber, ask them
why they think this. If they can only cite generalizations, ask
them for facts and examples. Even with the facts and examples, ask
them why this is a problem where you live, where you're going,
when you're in a group, when you're alone, when you're escorted,
etc. Eventually you should get to the nub of the issue being
derived from series of stories through the media. Then ask your
friend, is it better to be scared safe or to be prepared safe?
There will always be risks in life, even staying at home can bring
on death and injury. What counts is preparing for the worst in a
sane and sensible fashion (for example, taking self defense
classes, knowing where not to walk in the dark, only ever going
out at night with others, catching a taxi when drunk, etc.) rather
than restricting one's life from fear.
* Common sense dictates that all important agreements, such as
financial and marriage agreements, be in writing. Trust not to the
vagaries of time and faulty memories.
* Common sense is natural, but things can always go wrong; just
don't beat yourself up about the past too much. Some things are
inevitable.
* Common sense is learned through experience. Your friends and
family will be more than happy to talk about basic dos and don'ts
for any given situation with which they have familiarity if they
know it's about ensuring your own safety.
!! Warnings !!
* Don't be paranoid; be wise, not boring! Just think things through
beforehand.
* Be compassionate. Those using common sense can sometimes be
impatient at the stupidity of others around them. Shelve this
desire, for tomorrow it may be your lack of common sense that is
being laughed at or berated. We're all equally stupid at different
times in life, just as we're all equally smart at other times.
It's contextual and it's only embarrassing or wrong if we refuse
to learn from it.
!! Things You\'ll Need !!
* Research resources - read books, websites, etc., to increase your
understanding of the world, other cultures, beliefs, etc.
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Be Clever
* How to Widen Your Logic and Knowledge
* How to Think Clearly and Logically Under Pressure
* How to Follow Your Intuition
* How to Develop Your Intuition
* How to Reflect
* How to Keep Within Your Senses
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
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