Common Sense

Can common sense be learned, taught, or acquired?

Although common sense is something you are born with and learn along the way of life, it is something you can try to improve. Learning common sense isn't quite as easy as doing some reading and sitting an exam, as it's mainly developed through life lessons and skills.  SOURCE:  Rednax Recruitment

My dad had a creative expression for people who lacked common sense...  "That person couldn't pour piss out of a boot with directions written on the heal."

There have been several times in my life where I have similar thoughts about people...  although, sometimes I wonder if I lack common sense as my ability to reason and logically conclude has become, on occasion, distorted (I believe) with age.

Just today, someone claiming to be from AT&T came to the door to sell us on an internet connection and phone service.  We spent an hour or more with him and his assistant and signed up for the internet service as we had to think about the phone...  And, when they left, I looked at my wife an exclaimed we never asked them to verify that they actually worked for AT&T.

Not only is that a lack of good judgement but it is a lack of common sense.

One of these days, our assumptions are going to bite us in the ass.

Common sense is nothing more than exercising good judgment in practical matters...

But, what is good judgement?

Salespersons who succeed in sales where others fail have an uncanny knack of taking advantage of people's lack of common sense.

I am reminded of a story where someone was praising the ability of this salesperson and made the claim that he could sell ice to an Eskimo.

That would be quite a feat, I told myself after hearing the story...  but again, it is based upon common sense or the lack thereof.

I am also reminded of a story about how PhD's are incredibly smart when it comes to book knowledge but that they typically have no common sense.

One of my PhD professors in college, asked me one day how to call a taxi because her car had broken down.  She had just happened to pass me on her way to somewhere else.  I suppose she recognized me as one of her students.  I was older than most since I had spent some time in the military.

If you lack common sense or think you lack common sense, my suggestion is to start paying close attention to others and see how they think a problem through.