Do you think "common sense" is really just another word for "ignorant opinion"?

Question

So few people value a real education - with open debate and formal learning...

They say things like "All the college in the world won't get ya any common sense!"

But could they be lacking in that very department themselves?

Is the term "common sense" a refuge for the uneducated wanting to maintain their comfortable level of ignorance?

Answer 1

Yes, too much weight is given to the term common sense. At one time it was common sense that the universe revolved around Earth. At one time, it was common sense that black and whites should not use the same water fountains.

Answer 2

Yes, having an education may help you make common sense decisions about certain things, however school type education is not what is usually meant by the term common sense.
For example, ‘common sense’ would tell you that one should not put ones hand on a red hot burner because it will get burnt! This is a life lesson, not necessarily a learned school lesson.
With all this in mind, I would have to agree with you that some people twist-around the meaning of ‘common sense’ due to the lack of knowledge.
A lot of people use the term ‘common sense’ as a means of ‘beefing-up’ their self esteem or even to justify their ignorance’s, yes sometimes it is a refuge for the ignorant.

Answer 3

I think common sense is a basic form of logic, reasoning ans understanding that helps you get through life, and it's true that college won't give it to you. At the same time, I don't think that having common sense means you don't need an education--hopefully a person will have both. I know people who are very well-educated and have no common sense, as well as people witha lot of common sense but little education, and those in both groups would be a lot better off if they had whichever they were lacking.

Answer 4

No, common sense is defined as information that is widely known to be true. It's not a substitute for formal education, though it may be used as a defense mechanism when the question of education comes into play. People can lay claim to having common sense, but that doesn't make it true. However, people with a lot of true common sense will be far better positioned in some instances (particularly survival) than a person with little common sense and a PHd in Theoretical Astophysics.

Answer 5

I think it's both...

If I were to say "Evolution can't be true, it's common sense" then sure, I am not only overtly stating that I will not entertain any counter argument. But attempting to be lazy and not give you my argument in the first place. It is also used as a condescending tactic to make anyone in the opposition feel "inherently wrong".

On the other hand, It's common sense to turn of the water when your done,and to close the fridge door when your done and that is perfectly legitimate. Common sense is a phrase and, if used correctly, is something that many Junior High and High school students lack. But I agree it is also overused by people who are being close minded.

P.S. My remarks on evolution are not intend to indicate my opinions on the issue. I will gladly debate them with anyone (provided I have time), but it is not the topic of this discussion.

Answer 6

OK, wiseguy. Here's a good explanation. If you are a complete bookworm, make straigh A's in college, and gradiate top of your class at MIT, you can be very well educated but you won't know the first thing about making a snap decision. That comes with common sense. You need some sense of your surroundings. That's not necessarily something you acquire in college.

If you stay locked up in your attic all day every day and the world goes on without you, when you do decide to emerge from your self-imposed asylum you will not be able to function. To function in the real world, where street smarts are just as valuable as book smarts, you have to have a little more than just a college education.

A degree gets your foot in the door. Common sense gets you the promotions. In short, you need both to be successful.

Answer 7

"Common sense" is an expression more closely associated with what the majority of people have EXPERIENCED over long periods of time and have widely determined to be true because of numerous recurrences under the same set of circumstances. It is mainly, related to ones INTELLIGENCE and ability to USE his EXPERIENCES to his advantage. Common sense helps one to analyze and to synthesize information to determine how the environment operates. For example, someone may spend years studying what "gravity" is in a science book but has no insight into how it works until he has experienced a simple fall or the g-forces of a liftoff from a spaceship bound for the moon. Another example of how it works is when someone walks into a physical boundary enough times, he can avoid repeating the same mistake in the future by using his senses(sight and touch) and his memory. Common sense does not necessarily mean one is uneducated by choice or by circumstance. However, one can be well educated and still lack common sense.

Answer 8

no common sense is just being able to put things together and make assumptions based on a logical reasoning.

While some people may have phd and wat not it may be because they memorized there work instead of reasoning and truely understanding there work.

Sometimes people just memorize and repeat there work but really dont understand and know the origins, intentions and meaning of there work. So while a rich person might get a masters degree in whatever, but then might get married to a person that just ruins there life, and stay with that person. While a highschool drop out might change and work hard and then run a successful buisiness.

An example of high classed people with no commen sense is like when that guy i forgot his name was on the news and was talking very messed up to his son or step son that was like 11 years old and calling him a bastard or something.

And that guy that posted a naked picture to sell for 20 grand i think it was and it was on the newspaper. I think he was a senator or something like that and his daughter saw it.

Common sense is like being able to anticipate, guess, or predict the obvious based on reasoning basicly.

But we all have our stupid moments though, its just some poeple have it way more then others.

Answer 9

Common sense comes with maturity.

A child has no common sense; he or she might run into the street without looking. As you gain "common sense, " you look both ways before running into the road and you don't if you see a vehicle coming toward you...unless suicide is on your mind but that's another problem.

You cannot learn "common sense" in college. It is more instinct than education.

Answer 10

No common sense tells you if you stick your finger on the flame you will get burned although it seems more and more people are lacking common sense.
You just can't learn common sense from a book, those who lack common sense generally are ignorant.