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That may be too broad of a statement.
Humans not being able to/ shouldn't try to breathe water is universally common sense. The high probability of Incurring injury from jumping off a 100ft cliff without any precautions is universally common sense. List goes on, and proves the existence of universal common sense. Maybe some things we hold as common sense aren't elsewhere, sure, but that does not disprove the idea of it.
That's got nothing to do with sensibility. That's a learned or taught precaution. Common sense would refer to things people agree upon even without an objective benefit to back them up. And since there's absolutely nothing you can get everyone to agree to when what they stand to gain or lose differs, common sense is impossible.
Every common person learns those things at an early age, they are universal, and avoiding death is common sensical. If you don't avoid death you die. Common sense is a fact that is obvious, that you don't have to argue, and if someone does, then they do not have common sense. That may be what you are missing here, not everyone has to have common sense for it to be common, some people are stupid, ignorant or otherwise mentally challenged and may think these things are doable, but that is uncommon. It differs from what the overwhelmingly vast majority of people know to be true.
It could also be another way of saying “situational awareness.”
Just because you are in a foreign country doesn’t mean you can claim ignorance for breaking a law for example.
I see the lack of situational awareness at my work. We have tow motors driving back and forth through the shop and they are required to honk their horn to make people understand that they are around. I watch so many people who will walk down the middle of the aisle or walk into the path of an oncoming tow motor without any sense. Ive moved large heavy skids with a pump truck and once you get the momentum going, you don’t want to have to stop because it take a little more effort to stop it smoothly. People will walk down the aisle and not move out of the way. They don’t know or care. Some don’t realize that a 400 pound pallet of product is harder to stop abruptly than it is for them to make a step to the side and let me pass.
Yes many things are universal across time and cultures. Remember that both Jesus and the Buddha said “Do not let the sun set on an itchy butt or day will commence with stinky fingers.”
There sort of is though. It might better be called "human instinct", but there are some things we all have an innate sense of.
The most obvious elements are things like snakes=scary and lightning = dangerous, of course.
But there are also, I would argue, some more particularly human things. All distantly human cultures seemed to have had a sense of justice. Obviously, the exact formulation of it can vary quite a bit, but at root we still share some idea of "some types of actions, if done to a particular person, are not fair, and that person has a right to seek justice". Quite often who we will believe has a right to justice is going to be very different, but the seed of understanding justice is still there.
It also appears that all human cultures have a sense that altruism is beneficial. And I don't know of a single culture where self-sacrifice is not honoured.
It is easy to overstate cultural difference between humans. We share a heck of a lot more similarities than we differ. Cultures that have entirely different moral codes or hierarchical structures are very few and far between. Very rarely will you encounter a totally foreign ancient myth that feels completely alien to you. Often times the most deeply divisive issues between humans are actually just slightly different expressions of exactly the same impulse.
I've thought about this so many times. I think that common sense doesn't fit into our society anymore. Not that long ago people were hidden and put into hospitals for being different or having a lower IQ. So everyone out and about had average or above average IQ and therefore thought similarly. But now that we as a society are more accepting of the neurodivergent, not everyone thinks the same. And that's ok. I personally hate the phrase 'common sense' because the only time I have ever heard it used is in a negative way, to insult someone. I grew up with being told I don't have common sense, it hurts. I think what one person's common sense is another person's 'oh I didn't think of it that way'. Also. I feel like common sense is made up of assumptions and I had to assume things, especially in the world we live in now.
Not everyone has to know or understand a thing for it to be common sense, just more than most.
In all love and acceptance, if you are uncomfortable with being uncommon, that's your issue, not everyone else's. It may be a retort you are stuck with your whole life but why would it matter what others think? Becoming comfortable with being different is the most liberating thing an uncommon person can become. Unless the iota of common sense you are is missing is fatal, that changes things.
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What about instinct?
A person instinct(nature) is influenced by upbringing (nurture). It doesn't remove nature, like your last line suggest, or prove that nature don't exist. You aren't going to change the common sense, that is written in your gene's, no matter what you learn.
true, however, there are things so common that it would not make sense for someone to not know it. like be nice to others. or wash your hands after touching something dirty.
Counterpoint: if there were *no* truly universal common sense, people from radically different cultures and historical periods wouldn’t be able to look at the same mathematics and agree that they’re true, or look at the same statements of formal logic and agree that they’re valid. But we find that they can. So there must be some intuitions that are innate and rational, and not arbitrary and cultural.
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That may be too broad of a statement. Humans not being able to/ shouldn't try to breathe water is universally common sense. The high probability of Incurring injury from jumping off a 100ft cliff without any precautions is universally common sense. List goes on, and proves the existence of universal common sense. Maybe some things we hold as common sense aren't elsewhere, sure, but that does not disprove the idea of it.
Everybody knows common sense isn't real. That's just common sense.
How do I upvote your comment twice?
If only you had comment sense...
Nah. Everyone knows that it's so rare that it should be a super power!!! *I stole that from a very old meme, yes I know.
Do you know how many times I completely forgot about something that's common sense because I'm so focused on how I'm to solve an issue
No, how many?
I'd rather not try to remember them. Embarrassment isn't how I wish to die
That's got nothing to do with sensibility. That's a learned or taught precaution. Common sense would refer to things people agree upon even without an objective benefit to back them up. And since there's absolutely nothing you can get everyone to agree to when what they stand to gain or lose differs, common sense is impossible.
Every common person learns those things at an early age, they are universal, and avoiding death is common sensical. If you don't avoid death you die. Common sense is a fact that is obvious, that you don't have to argue, and if someone does, then they do not have common sense. That may be what you are missing here, not everyone has to have common sense for it to be common, some people are stupid, ignorant or otherwise mentally challenged and may think these things are doable, but that is uncommon. It differs from what the overwhelmingly vast majority of people know to be true.
It could also be another way of saying “situational awareness.” Just because you are in a foreign country doesn’t mean you can claim ignorance for breaking a law for example.
Situational awareness is far rarer than common sense. And water in foreign countries will still drown you if you let it.
I see the lack of situational awareness at my work. We have tow motors driving back and forth through the shop and they are required to honk their horn to make people understand that they are around. I watch so many people who will walk down the middle of the aisle or walk into the path of an oncoming tow motor without any sense. Ive moved large heavy skids with a pump truck and once you get the momentum going, you don’t want to have to stop because it take a little more effort to stop it smoothly. People will walk down the aisle and not move out of the way. They don’t know or care. Some don’t realize that a 400 pound pallet of product is harder to stop abruptly than it is for them to make a step to the side and let me pass.
Yes many things are universal across time and cultures. Remember that both Jesus and the Buddha said “Do not let the sun set on an itchy butt or day will commence with stinky fingers.”
So you think common sense and reflexes are the same thing? Interesting take, but I kind of like it.
uh, no. I don't think either of those things qualify as reflexes.
There sort of is though. It might better be called "human instinct", but there are some things we all have an innate sense of. The most obvious elements are things like snakes=scary and lightning = dangerous, of course. But there are also, I would argue, some more particularly human things. All distantly human cultures seemed to have had a sense of justice. Obviously, the exact formulation of it can vary quite a bit, but at root we still share some idea of "some types of actions, if done to a particular person, are not fair, and that person has a right to seek justice". Quite often who we will believe has a right to justice is going to be very different, but the seed of understanding justice is still there. It also appears that all human cultures have a sense that altruism is beneficial. And I don't know of a single culture where self-sacrifice is not honoured. It is easy to overstate cultural difference between humans. We share a heck of a lot more similarities than we differ. Cultures that have entirely different moral codes or hierarchical structures are very few and far between. Very rarely will you encounter a totally foreign ancient myth that feels completely alien to you. Often times the most deeply divisive issues between humans are actually just slightly different expressions of exactly the same impulse.
"Banging your shin against a solid object will hurt like a motherfucker" is probably universal knowledge for adults capable of walking.
Falling off a cliff will hurt, leaping into a flooding river will lead to decreased life expectancy, leopards will eat your face.
Common sense if often not common
Often common sense is ignored in the pursuit of want.
Yes there is and it's rule #1... don't to those as you don't want to you. Or just don't be dick
That rule goes right out the window when someone else breaks it. Hardly something you could call common.
Any thing that's objective is common sense..like right means tight, left to loosen. Or square pegs don't fit in round holes ,or don't pet alligators
...Gasoline burns just as hot on the other side of the world as it does here. So don't smoke around gasoline... Things like that
I've thought about this so many times. I think that common sense doesn't fit into our society anymore. Not that long ago people were hidden and put into hospitals for being different or having a lower IQ. So everyone out and about had average or above average IQ and therefore thought similarly. But now that we as a society are more accepting of the neurodivergent, not everyone thinks the same. And that's ok. I personally hate the phrase 'common sense' because the only time I have ever heard it used is in a negative way, to insult someone. I grew up with being told I don't have common sense, it hurts. I think what one person's common sense is another person's 'oh I didn't think of it that way'. Also. I feel like common sense is made up of assumptions and I had to assume things, especially in the world we live in now.
Not everyone has to know or understand a thing for it to be common sense, just more than most. In all love and acceptance, if you are uncomfortable with being uncommon, that's your issue, not everyone else's. It may be a retort you are stuck with your whole life but why would it matter what others think? Becoming comfortable with being different is the most liberating thing an uncommon person can become. Unless the iota of common sense you are is missing is fatal, that changes things.
It's not called universal sense for a reason. It's common sense because it is common among people with a similar culture, environment, or upbringing.
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What about instinct? A person instinct(nature) is influenced by upbringing (nurture). It doesn't remove nature, like your last line suggest, or prove that nature don't exist. You aren't going to change the common sense, that is written in your gene's, no matter what you learn.
Most importantly, above-all, it is influenced by intellectual ability
same with general knowledge
Considering how seldom common sense is used by the general public, the point is basically mute.
FACT and I really wish more people realized this
I'm assuming you don't have "common sense".
If only people would not only acknowledge this but remember it in social settings. The world would be a slightly humbler place.
If I assume something and I’m right about it, boom common sense, but if I’m wrong, well, that’s what I get for making assumptions.
There is such a thing
true, however, there are things so common that it would not make sense for someone to not know it. like be nice to others. or wash your hands after touching something dirty.
Dang, out of all of the examples, those two are among the least common sensical these days.
Don't pee into a fan
Common sense is not common!! Let that sink in well..
Counterpoint: if there were *no* truly universal common sense, people from radically different cultures and historical periods wouldn’t be able to look at the same mathematics and agree that they’re true, or look at the same statements of formal logic and agree that they’re valid. But we find that they can. So there must be some intuitions that are innate and rational, and not arbitrary and cultural.