Posted by Gary Wooding on 16/07/2020 10:29:06:
***This*** makes interesting reading.
But most would struggle to get through Wikipedia, which shows 'Common Sense' is a difficult concept! Seems easy and obvious, but look closely and it's a tar pit.
I argue it's safer to assume there's is no such thing as common sense. There's no agreement about what it is, and because it can't be defined it can't be enforced. It depends on assumptions, opinion and beliefs, which vary between individuals, families, occupations, religions, politics, nationalities and circumstances. The whole idea is built on sand. Gimme facts, evidence, training, guidelines, experience and laws any day.
Perhaps the most serious problem with common sense is assuming everyone has it, when so much of what we know comes from years of experience. Boys temporarily baffled by tape measures are no more foolish than grandads who don't understand cybercrime. Neither is common sense!
But there are two basic types of problem in the world. When attacked by a hungry bear it pays to act quickly without thinking through lots of alternatives. Common sense pays when speed matters more than getting the best possible answer. However, as soon as the emergency is over, its better to think out a cunning anti-bear plan. Common sense is left in the dust whenever there's time to consider the facts, unless of course paralysis by analysis kicks in! For that reason it's best to have a balanced mix of practical and theoretical skills when decision making. It's never easy.
Dave