Oxford Languages defines common sense as “good sense and sound judgment in practical matters.” To most, this means acting how others would assume they would. Though this is what most think of this topic, this is not how everyone acts daily.
Most of the population lacks common sense, but why? According to ronmci.medium.com, social media, and uprising technology is a big factor in the good judgment aspect of the world. Since 98% (as of Dec. 4, 2024) of people in America own a phone, many lose direct experience in life. With the ability to communicate with anyone whenever one wants, look a place up without having to physically be there to see it, and the fear of offending someone people have become less attuned to in-person socializing. In this society, people feel everything very heavily, myself included, meaning to tell someone they are doing something wrong or annoying could be detrimental to one’s mental health. When approaching someone who may lack an aspect of common sense, always have a workable solution to allow them time to fix the issue.
Examples of common sense could include not touching a hot stove in the sense that it would burn you, or not stopping in the middle of a busy hallway to have a conversation, blocking the flow of movement. These are ideas that one would assume everyone already knows and won’t do these annoying actions, but that is not the case. Not everyone learns what or how it is until adulthood or even never. Most who lack this skill also lack life experience and have not lived enough to understand what everyone else does. This can lead to having little knowledge of how to do things correctly around other people.
I, among others, associate road rage with common sense. This may be because some people just don’t know how to drive with others on the road at the same time. Simple rules like driving the designated speed or not pulling out in front of someone just to slow down and go twenty under the speed limit are just a few of the aspects people forget. Having an open mind while driving could most definitely decrease the amount of small car accidents that could be prevented. There are so many aspects to having common sense, but driving is the one that sets most people off.
One way to fix not having this specific trait is to be put in someone else’s shoes: would one want to walk slowly in the hall when they’re late to class? The answer would be no. Paying attention to one’s surroundings would greatly benefit the lack of common sense. One person lacking the skill can affect someone else’s day-to-day life. Imagine already being in a bad mood and all of a sudden, a person one is sitting near is chewing crunchy chips with their mouth open. This would also be an example, because why are they chewing with an open mouth?
So with all of this being said, make sure to do the proper research and learn all aspects of common sense before thinking one automatically has it. This is a learned habit and not an inherited trait. Having sound judgment can make everything run smoother in a day-to-day life experience.
