What is Common Sense?
Advert
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:
- A facts first system.
- A rejection of mystical or magical explanations.
- 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
-
What is the Best Memory Training Technique?
Do you struggle to memorise facts? There are lots of techniques for remembering and memorising things. One of the best is called the Memory Palace or Method of Loci. Check out our example of how this works and see how easy it is to remember a list.
Read Article > -
The Power of Personal Initiative
Personal initiative is a powerful thing, which everyone possesses. By using your initiative you will achieve success. But don't let procrastination get in the way of your personal initiative.
Read Article > -
Happy at Work
Your organisation runs best when employees are working in cooperative, happy teams. Teams that possess a "positive mental attitude" are happier and more productive.
Read Article > -
How to feel great everyday
The words you use have the power to change how you feel, both in positive and negative ways. Find out how important it is to use the right words, to make yourself feel great everyday and enable you to perform even better.
Read Article > -
Seven Habits
Seven Habits You are what you habitually do. Your life is composed of a set of routines that you habitually do in response to certain triggers. For example, on most work days, you set your alarm to wake you up at the same time in the morning. And when that alarm...
Read Article >