Blog Post 4: Common Sense

For me, this chapter has been the most interesting and relatable thing we have read so far. I think this is because common sense is a concept several of is have brought up in class lately as something we see as an important part of communication ethics. But when it came time to actually provide a definition I feel most of us described something that may be closer to human nature. I like this book's definition of common sense as not actually being common or innate, but saying it is more of an individual issue and is a by-product of our own knowledge and practice. This makes a lot of sense when I think about it, especially in the context of some of our class conversations and why we each mentioned different things as being common sense. While common sense may have the word "common" in it, I am not so sure there is much that is common or universal about it.

One thing that stood out to me and something I really related to while reading was when the book used the examples of people saying things like "I cannot believe you don't know that" when they think something is common sense. This really stuck out to me because I noticed the use of "I" and realized I would probably say something like that in a situation where I felt someone was lacking common sense. I think this really proves the point that we shape our own idea of common sense based on what we know and experience. Does someone not knowing something I think is important or basic knowledge really mean they don't have common sense? More likely than not I don't know about something they value or find important, so does that mean I lack common sense? The use of "I" in the examples in the book really made me think about this and the fact that maybe common sense isn't universal and is more of an individual issue than we realize. And I think this really goes hand in hand with what the book is saying about learning in terms of common sense and how important it is that we don't have a single or common understanding of what common sense is and it is necessary to remember this in order to approach common sense and its practice with an open mind.

I also really liked how at the end of the chapter the book used Les Mis as an example and context for common sense and how complex of a concert it can be. This was useful because it uses an example we just saw in class and a film I am very familiar with. The book used the example of what different characters thought was the common sense approach in terms of their treatment of Valjean upon discovering he is a convict. The villagers and other citizens turn Valjean away and treat him with little respect because to them it is "common sense" that he is dangerous and below them because of his past. But the bishop takes him in and even forgives him when he steals the silver because by the bishop's beliefs and standards it is "common sense" to help other men and care for everyone. This is a really good example of how different people see common sense differently, even in the same situation, based on their own personal experience and knowledge. This really made the main ideas of the chapter clear to me and I definitely agree that common sense it not that common or universal and is shaped by the individual.