Common sense

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  • Sweet Willy
    Established Member
    • May 2011
    • 195
    • Near Chattanooga, TN
    • ridgid 3650

    Common sense

    In my old age I look back and realize how lucky I was to live in a time when common sense was common.
    In my old age I look back and realize how lucky I was to live in a time when common sense was common.
    Dennis

    Sweet Willy
    sigpic
  • woodturner
    Veteran Member
    • Jun 2008
    • 2047
    • Western Pennsylvania
    • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

    #2
    Originally posted by Sweet Willy
    In my old age I look back and realize how lucky I was to live in a time when common sense was common.
    Sad, though, that "common sense" has never been common, since at least caveman days.

    The other problem is that "common sense" to one person is "stupid" to another. It's like the old puzzle about the two guys walking on the railway bridge when the train approaches. The guy with "common sense" runs away from the train and doesn't make it. The "idiot" runs toward the train and survives - because they were nearer to that end of the bridge.

    I do find it amusing how often people claim something is "common sense" when they really have not understood the situation at all. Some people seem to use the "common sense" claim to support unwise behavior.
    --------------------------------------------------
    Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

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    • Hellrazor
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2003
      • 2091
      • Abyss, PA
      • Ridgid R4512

      #3
      Depends how you define common sense.

      Does someone with common sense wear stiletto style high heeled boots in the winter?

      Do they complain about falling in the snow "but I had boots on!" ?

      Saw that at work already. A masters degree doesn't make you "common sense" smart.


      Common sense seems like a pipe dream because we are a throw away society. Nobody learns how to fix anything anymore. We had generations of people who would tinker with stuff to learn how it worked and fix it. Now they want a remote control and changing the batteries is a chore.

      Kids just want to sit in front of the TV or play video games. I haven't seen my neighbors kids play outside since the first week of December. We were outside almost every day playing in the snow when I grew up.

      Comment

      • JR
        The Full Monte
        • Feb 2004
        • 5633
        • Eugene, OR
        • BT3000

        #4
        I've never had much common sense, so I've come to depend on lessons learned. Among them: never judge a woman's choice of footwear based on common sense. Dragons be there.
        JR

        Comment

        • woodturner
          Veteran Member
          • Jun 2008
          • 2047
          • Western Pennsylvania
          • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

          #5
          Originally posted by Hellrazor
          Does someone with common sense wear stiletto style high heeled boots in the winter?
          How deep is the snow? Common sense says stiletto boots are better in deeper snow and on ice, since they will provide better footing than a flat sole, kind of like spikes. So the common sense answer to your question is yes, someone with common sense would wear stiletto boots in the snow.

          That is really the problem with "common sense" - usually when people cite "common sense" it is because they have not completely analyzed and understood the situation and leapt to an invalid conclusion they call "common sense".

          Kids just want to sit in front of the TV or play video games. I haven't seen my neighbors kids play outside since the first week of December. We were outside almost every day playing in the snow when I grew up.
          Fair point - the neighbors kids have enough "common sense" to stay indoors and out of the cold ;-)

          Around here, it has been so cold (like -30F wind chills) that is it unsafe for children to be outdoors.

          These examples are sort of the point - for any example one person cites, another person can point out that a person with "common sense" would do something differently :-)
          Last edited by woodturner; 02-28-2015, 12:45 PM.
          --------------------------------------------------
          Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

          Comment

          • leehljp
            Just me
            • Dec 2002
            • 8429
            • Tunica, MS
            • BT3000/3100

            #6
            Common sense involves observing the circumstances, mixed with a bit of wisdom gathered from experience and reacting accordingly.

            Back in the day when "accidents" such as saw cut accidents, lawn mower accidents, shocks from long poles on electric wires etc - were the fault of the owner/user, many many more people were observant of dangers. Generally referred to as "common sense" usage.

            With the moving toward more and more "academics" (whether it was learned or not is irrelevant) experience has been pushed to the wayside, and lack of "common sense / deductive reasoning skills becomes evident.

            I personally want my grandkids to play with a pocket knife at age 6 or 7 and practice whittling. Those "cuts" that they get are/will be the best teachers, induce deductive reasoning skills and create a sense of "common sense".
            Hank Lee

            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

            Comment

            • leehljp
              Just me
              • Dec 2002
              • 8429
              • Tunica, MS
              • BT3000/3100

              #7
              Originally posted by woodturner
              Fair point - the neighbors kids have enough "common sense" to stay indoors and out of the cold ;-)

              Around here, it has been so cold (like -30F wind chills) that is it unsafe for children to be outdoors.

              These examples are sort of the point - for any example one person cites, another person can point out that a person with "common sense" would do something differently :-)
              OK, where the wind chill is - 30° C or F, common sense says stay in, unless well prepared and knowledge to know when to get in.

              When the temp is 20° - 30°, common sense would say "go play," where as if you were sick, common sense would say stay in. Nothing conflicting about that!

              Common Sense is observing the circumstances and with wisdom - acting accordingly. Different demographics "could" mean to react accordingly. That (different demographics/locations/situations) doesn't make common sense less "sensible" or confusing or contradictory. Common sense is dictated by changing circumstances with the wisdom gained from experience to know or reason what, when and how to act or react or not.

              Edit in: I should add that Common sense, where I come from includes the ability to learn from other's mistakes, or their own, and then sort of translate that into wise learning filed away for use at the appropriate time in the future.

              Red Necks, on the other hand have these as their famous last words: " Hey Ya'll, watch this!"

              Down south in many local regions, we call common sense - "Horse Sense"
              Last edited by leehljp; 02-28-2015, 04:35 PM.
              Hank Lee

              Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

              Comment

              • Hellrazor
                Veteran Member
                • Dec 2003
                • 2091
                • Abyss, PA
                • Ridgid R4512

                #8
                Only someone from PA could make stripper boots sound like winter weather boots. 4-5" stiletto heels are good for snow and ice.... *sigh*

                Leehljp - you are on to something. Some people must think a windchill of -20 for a few days means it isn't safe to go outside for 3 months. Guess I should call youth services on the other families on the other end of the street since their kids are outside a lot.


                Oh well. Somehow I must have lacked common sense posting in this topic.

                Comment

                • woodturner
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jun 2008
                  • 2047
                  • Western Pennsylvania
                  • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Hellrazor
                  Some people must think a windchill of -20 for a few days means it isn't safe to go outside for 3 months.
                  I sincerely hope the windchills will be above -20F within a few months, but am not optimistic. We have been dealing with these unusually cold temperatures since December

                  I was really just observing that "common sense" is subjective - what seems reasonable to one person is not reasonable to another. That's why we can't quantify or objectively determine common sense, it's essentially an opinion.

                  Whether it is "better" for children to play video games indoors or go outside is a subjective evaluation. They may not play outside as much, but the skills those kids are learning playing video games are arguably better preparing them for the world in which they will work and live. One thing is clear, those skills are already resulting in starting salaries higher than the highest salaries earned by more experienced workers, at least in the science, engineering, and programming worlds. Sad but true...
                  --------------------------------------------------
                  Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

                  Comment

                  • phrog
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jul 2005
                    • 1796
                    • Chattanooga, TN, USA.

                    #10
                    I think Tennesse Ernie Ford (for you youngsters - he was a country singer) summed up "common sense" pretty well. He said that his mother didn't have much school learnin' but she'd tell you that if you sit down next to a bull with a milk bucket, you ain't very smart.
                    Richard

                    Comment

                    • gerti
                      Veteran Member
                      • Dec 2003
                      • 2233
                      • Minnetonka, MN, USA.
                      • BT3100 "Frankensaw"

                      #11
                      My wife's favorite example is the Walhalla in Regensburg, Germany (do a google image search). As you walk up to it there is a sign saying "Do not cross the white lines. You might fall and die." At the Walhalla there are several areas where there is a white line, maybe another 3 or 4 feet, then a 60 foot drop. No fence, no rails, nothing. Common sense required.

                      Oh and don't even think of suing if you or someone in your family gets hurt. They'll just throw you out of court. (Same as they'd do if you microwave your poodle, or burn yourself on hot coffee).

                      Frankly the way things are in the U.S., I am really surprised that there isn't a requirement for a large "Danger" + lots of fine-print sticker next to every outlet.

                      Comment

                      • LinuxRandal
                        Veteran Member
                        • Feb 2005
                        • 4889
                        • Independence, MO, USA.
                        • bt3100

                        #12
                        Originally posted by woodturner
                        Sad, though, that "common sense" has never been common, since at least caveman days.

                        The other problem is that "common sense" to one person is "stupid" to another. It's like the old puzzle about the two guys walking on the railway bridge when the train approaches. The guy with "common sense" runs away from the train and doesn't make it. The "idiot" runs toward the train and survives - because they were nearer to that end of the bridge.

                        I do find it amusing how often people claim something is "common sense" when they really have not understood the situation at all. Some people seem to use the "common sense" claim to support unwise behavior.

                        I had to laugh at this. I commonly say that common sense is the biggest oxymoron, and generally think most of my family has it. I thought of one time that my older brother didn't, that I still don't believe it.
                        How does a 13 year old walk into a house where all the doors and drawers are open, things are missing and a 17 year old is sitting on the couch, completely oblivious to the fact we were robbed?
                        She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.

                        Comment

                        • Sweet Willy
                          Established Member
                          • May 2011
                          • 195
                          • Near Chattanooga, TN
                          • ridgid 3650

                          #13
                          Ya got me.
                          In my old age I look back and realize how lucky I was to live in a time when common sense was common.
                          Dennis

                          Sweet Willy
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • sailor55330
                            Established Member
                            • Jan 2010
                            • 494

                            #14
                            Common sense is such a subjective thing. Here's one for you

                            I have an acquaintance that I know very well who has children. As a young kid (5-7 ish), one of the boys took off after a ball at full tilt into the street. The parent saw this and grabbed the boy by the arm to keep him safe just short of the street. This was on school grounds. A school official only saw the last part of her "jerking" her son hard by the arm and reported it. She was under scrutiny from child protective services for 2 years with surprise visits. She even went to court to fight it. She lost. It wasn't in this country--think a little north.

                            Now, who's right or wrong? Visual accounts told the school official that the child was being "abused", but common sense should have told them to investigate and gather all the facts. By the same, their should have been some "common sense" during the investigation and asked for all accounts, but they didn't.

                            Go figure

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