What is generally meant by the term "common sense"?

Question

Is there such a thing, and how often do you encounter it?

Answer 1

Common means it belongs to most people.
Sense means the thoughts in our brain that warn us about potentially harmful or potentially useful actions.

Common sense is the general intelligence that everyone should have if they are normal that causes us to do or not to do certain projects.

I am amazed how many people I encounter that don't have the sense God gave a chicken. Like the girls who use a curling iron on their eyelashes. Like the guys who drive 100 mph on a mountain road. That is just stupid thinking. I wonder, were these kids raised by gorillas?

Just meander around Yahoo Answers a bit, and you'll see all kinds of questions that are easy, easy, but people don't have any common sense.

TX Mom

PS Some people do develop common sense as they become older and wiser.

Answer 2

Common sense was the favourite field of Hitler and stll today of people hating intelligence and theory -
Common sense is close to instinct of survival, prejudices etc which fill the pages of people magazines -
Common sense is nothing but immediate perception of things such as they appear - common sense is dangerous -

Tests for regruiting jail guards are based on evaluation of common sense, and kicking prisoners is full of common sense

I read the answers and I find out that many people make a confusion with "instinctive mechanisms" and "common sense" -

And "common sense" hates to be identified - that's why he hits
good pupils or puts down thumbs

Answer 3

Common sense,I use it all the time!It is our heart telling us what is right and what is wrong.It also is used alot for a simple answer,or something that life has taught us.An example;should I stay with this guy or girl that keeps beating me,never helps himself,is an alcoholic and takes drugs? Common sense would say NO!

Answer 4

common - most people have it, you see it often, not rare
Sense - intelligence, knowledge

Common sense is a knowledge or intelligence most people innately have - like not stepping out in front of a car, not touching a hot stoe burner, etc. It's things you should know, or should have learned early.

For the most part, I think I encounter it daily - it's only on occasion you meet someone completely lacking basic knowledge needs to stay alive.

Answer 5

It means at least 2 things. Both of them are surprisingly relative.

General knowledge about living in your home and community.

General social knowledge about living with your peers.

ADD: If you move to a different place (eg: city, state, country, etc) that general knowledge could be similar to others or very different.

An American who went to the Middle East would know not to stick his finger in a power socket, but he might not know how to light a lamp safely.

Similarly an American would know that murder was illegal but might know that a certain hand gesture was an insult worthy of a fight.

Answer 6

Common sense is basically like this.
If you are in the middle of the street and see a car rush at you you know you need to get out of the way .
or if you see a big dog behind a fence it is common sense that tells you hay dummy don't pet that dog, it will
tear your arm off. ha ha !!

Answer 7

There is definitely such a thing.......encountered rarely in day to day life.

Answer 8

Common sense is a form of natural knowledge you develope without being taught.

Answer 9

Well.Its when people use there brains and not emotions to figure things out i reckon,using logic should be taught in schools and not just information.and a course in manners and civility would help also so people would not be so emotional and be able to use there common sense.

Answer 10

Yes their is! I had kids that had common sense and others that were, dumb as a box of rocks! Hate to say that, I had 5 kids!