Offensive or not?: "You're brilliant when it comes to book smarts, but you don't have common sense"

Question

I have often heard this being said to many people. It sounds to me like this remark is still an insult to a person's intelligence, though.

Answer 1

offensive, but usually true.

Answer 2

Fact: When asked, 75% of people will say they have more common sense than the average person, which is of course mathematically impossible. At least 25% of those people (and probably closer to 33%) must be wrong. If so many people are unable to recognize whether or not they have something, isn't it at least POSSIBLE that it doesn't actually exist?

Personally, I prefer "wisdom" over "common sense." Wisdom is the ability (and willingness) to apply what one knows to the situation at hand. So, yes, you can possess "book knowledge" but have no idea how (or the desire to) use it properly. But when you call wisdom "common sense," what you're really trying to suggest is that "book knowledge" isn't really all that valuable, and educated people are actually stupid, but us "real people" are smart because we have "common sense." It becomes class-struggle name calling.

Rise above this. Strive to possess both.

Answer 3

Common sense

Answer 4

I've had people say this with a clear implication that it was directed towards me. The person saying it wasn't smart enough to ever get "book smarts". I choose to ignore them, but yes, it is offensive because they don't have the brains to understand that they don't know what they are talking about. However, its not that important, so I ignore it.

Answer 5

It's offensive; it's not an insult to their intelligence so much as it is an insulting comment on their personality and character. Either way, I'd certainly never say it to someone unless I was expressing concern for a friend who had ASKED my opinion!

Answer 6

1/2 compliment - 1/2 insult
A good description of my daughter. Shes a walking calculator but can't figure out simple common stuff.

Answer 7

I've known many people who fit the description. I don't think it is meant to offend, but to acknowledge one's intelligence and yet give some advice that the person of average intelligence would have figured out on their own. Oxymoron? Back-handed compliment?

Answer 8

It is offensive and used in the pejorative sense. Usually it is stated by someone who possesses only 'street smarts' and not book smarts. Its like knocking the 'college kid' when he's working a job that does not take much ingenuity in order to catapult the ignorant one to a higher level..

Answer 9

I'd consider it an insult. I think a lot of people confuse common sense with paying attention.

Answer 10

It's true to an extent because it's easy to memorize theory in a book and put it back out on paper but it requires experience or common sense to apply that theory to everyday life!!!!

Answer 11

Many many thanks to you today!!! I thought my mother-in-law made that one up herself!!! She's too dumb to think of that and yet I've let those words ring in my ears for 40 years since the first fight!!! She lost her son and her grandchildren over what that started because it wasn't her last word, she kept on doing it. Now it's sad for us all. We all face eternity, with a war first and THEN eternity and for what?? Just to manipulate our families and get everybody "trained"--------what a world!! Think bigger people. Don't be "brilliant" like me. I am bitter and afraid of the future. Love your family, and then live on the other side of the world. You will have wonderful relationships because time will not allow all the manipulation. Your phone calls will be pleasant and no one can assert their will over the family. In a control situation, no one wins. I won over her, but I lost, we all lost.
Who on earth ever thought this "remark" that can destroy your self-image, was a compliment? I knew I had been b**** slapped as soon as my face turned red.