Chapter 4 - Common Sense

I agreed with the points that Chapter 4 listed about common sense, but I still find it difficult that many things I view as "common sense" in every day life may not be held as common sense by others. For example, why are you wearing shorts and flip flops with no jacket in Minnesota when it just snowed??! (This guy was outside of Blarney's this weekend, just saying). "My common sense" tells me that this guy is an idiot and that when it is cold or snowing, especially in Minnesota you should be all bundled up in layers. Sometimes I don't even get why people are not wearing gloves or a hat in the winter. But again, these are all my standards for common sense to use during winter in Minnesota and sometimes I just find it very difficult not to judge some of those who do not meet my standards of common sense and devalue their intelligence (lack of common sense) or even as a person (which is very sad but true; I know I'm not the only one guilty of this). This can be quite problematic as I go through life encountering many people who hold very different standards of common sense from my own. That is why I think it is important to understand that there is no one standard for common sense, which it seems like this would be common sense in theory, but it's really different in practice.

In the beginning of the chapter, it states that communication ethics theory cautions you to not demand others to see or conform to your view and that there is not one standard of common sense that is universally known(p. 62). This can cause a lot of problems in miscommunication if both parties or even one side of the party is not able to think in this way. I feel like this act in itself becomes more difficult as you get older, and also if you come from a more traditional and conservative family or community. An example of this is my grandfather and his views. My mom and her siblings get into a lot of arguments with him because he is unable (or unwilling) to see other viewpoints, which he sees as too liberal and "American". 

It is almost problematic to assume that everyone you come in contact with has the same standards of "common sense" as you, especially in this day in age where so many ideas and opinions are shared constantly and instantly around the world. Everyone is connected, but many participants on the Internet forget that everyone has their own theories of common sense, that we all grew up with different narratives that help guide our everyday actions. Some people may not be willing to learn from who grew up differently from them and thus having a different standard of common sense, but it is important to see this as an opportunity for learning and understanding. Doing so does not mean you are conforming to their views -- which I feel is a mistake many of us do -- it just means you are opening up your framework of theories and ideas, which can later be useful in guiding your choices in certain situations. I really like the book's metaphor of gathering common sense as a "patchwork quilt". The more intricate your patchwork is, the more understanding you will have in given situations and be more fluid and successful in handling them. This is an area that I would like to work on.