What is Common Sense?

Important: GDPR Email Preferences

As you may already know, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be coming into effect on 25th May 2018. We take your privacy seriously and we are working hard to ensure we comply with the new data protection laws. You can find out more about how we're doing this in our privacy policy on our website.

We want to make sure you continue to receive the latest newsletters, blogs, special offers and more.

As someone who has opted-in to receive our emails in the past, we’d like to give you this opportunity to confirm what you wish to receive:

Just so you know, if you don’t let us know what kinds of emails you want to receive from us, we’ll stop emailing you on the 24th May 2018 - you'll be missing out!

You are of course free to change your mind at any time – just follow the link at the bottom of any of our emails.

What is Common Sense?

Common sense is "everyday logic".

The term "common sense" was first coined by Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, who said that humans were the only animal on the planet equipped with an innate sense of logic. Aristotle said everyone is born with the potential to think logically, therefore logic is the COMMON sense. (ie the logical sense is common to all humans).

What does common sense logic mean in practice?

There are three distinguishing characteristics of common sense:

1. A facts first system.
2. A rejection of mystical or magical explanations.
3. Always practical and workable.

1. The first rule of common sense is: Get the facts.

Common sense is a facts first system of thought. It is reality based. Common sense is about dealing with the world as it really is, not how you feel it should be.

Therefore, you need to ensure you don't make decisions based on instinct, vague feelings, rumour, guesses or fake news.

Check your facts and check your sources.

Sherlock Holmes said, "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has the facts".

2. Common sense implies a rejection of mystical or magical methods.

Common sense means we reject methods that rely on luck, chance, fate, the stars, destiny, the spirits, or that things happen "somehow".

Common sense tells us that people don't pass exams, just because they are lucky, or win races because fate is on their side.

People do not fail because "now is not their time".

Common sense looks for non-mystical, non-religious, non-magical explanations and methods.

If something happens, then it happens due to worldly, natural causes, NOT supernatural, magical, or religious causes.

So common sense is a logical, factual, scientific way of looking at things.

3. Practical and workable.

Because common sense is factual, it is also practical.

Because it is scientific, it is also pragmatic.

Therefore, all your theories must be practical, workable and achievable in the real world. Therefore, never evade facts you don't like and never invent facts you wish were true.

How can you develop common sense?

Resolve to deal with the world head-on; take a hard-headed, practical, factual, non-mystical approach to your life and its problems.

If you do that, then people around you will say you have plenty of common sense.

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Your Comments

Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness

• Why people act the way they do
  Why people act the way they do Some people seem to you, to act in strange ways. They do things that seem to make no sense. They like things that you don't like. They say things you would not say. They believe in things that you do not think are true...
  Read Article >
• How to cut costs and become more efficient
  How to cut costs and become more efficient Here is a good motto to memorise "Complexity and waste thrive on each other" You want to achieve your goals. In order to do that you must: Maximise your productivity Minimise your costs Efficiency is the ratio that relates your productivity to your...
  Read Article >
• What is autosuggestion?
  You can improve your negative thoughts by conscious self-talk. Overwrite your disempowering thoughts with positive new instructions. Improve the way you feel and act, in situations you have previously found difficult.
  Read Article >
• What is Common Sense?
  Do you make decisions based on instinct, rumour, guesses or fake news? Or do you take a practical, factual approach to life? If so, you have common sense. Common sense is the ability to think logically.
  Read Article >
• Personal effectiveness - Emotional intelligence training
  Emotional intelligence has two major components. The first element of emotional intelligence training is developing the art of being able to manage your own emotions, so that you are able to achieve the optimum emotional response that is appropriate to the circumstances that face you. The second element of emotional intelligence...
  Read Article >