I oftentimes hear people criticize or dismiss
other's ideas by labeling it as "common sense." Common sense indicates that
the majority of people intuitively understand and already "know" the
information that is being presented. And this fact of knowing indirectly
asserts that the information is somehow less valuable because it is "common"
and therefore a commodity. So labeling something as common sense
carries a derogatory connotation... but herein lies the irony:
Common Sense
does not equal Uncommon Success...
Knowing and doing are two completely different things. Yes
it's true that we all know many, many things. We intellectually agree and
understand a vast amount of knowledge about ourselves and about our world.
But equally true is that most people do not do what they know.
This is not a judgment but a reality. As a whole, most are not successful at
implementing the knowledge that is available to us. Proclaiming something as
common sense seems to become a defense mechanism people employ to manage
their disappointment around their lack of productive activity.
Uncommon success in any area of life requires taking common sense on the
road. It's not enough to know something or to simply talk about
something. You have to do something and make things happen for the common to
become uncommon.
Smoking is an obvious yet powerful
example. No one will argue that smoking is hazardous for the health of the
human body. It causes disease and people die from it everyday. We can call
this common sense because everybody knows it. Yet millions still
smoke despite this knowledge. So what do we call common sense that is
unacted upon? The norm. History proves that the most profound wisdom and
universal truths are simple to understand but not easy to implement.
Identifying something as common sense then is the
beginning, not the end.
"Common sense is the collection of
prejudices acquired by age 18." - Albert Einstein
Of course what some call common sense, others call crazy.
It becomes a matter of perspective based on one's social, cultural and
educational background. So maybe we could benefit from re-learning
some universal common sense principles that affect our physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual well-being. But more importantly, maybe we can then
learn to apply some of this knowledge and information to improve
not only our own lives, but the lives of those around us. Sounds like common
sense to me...
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Success Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
