Where right things are laughed at and stupid things are praised
In a world that seems to be driven by new technologies, scientific discoveries, and a growing body of knowledge, you might think that common sense would be easy to come by. In spite of this, we live in a society where common sense is very rare, like a valuable gem that is hidden under a lot of confusion and false information. We are going to try to figure out why common sense is so hard to find in today's world through this intellectual discussion.
Since the beginning of time, people have said that common sense is the most important thing for making smart decisions. Common sense is practical judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. It is the natural ability to figure out what is right or sensible in a given situation, without having to go to school or learn a lot of specific information. But, even though it's very important, common sense seems to be going away because of all the different opinions, sensationalism, and the never-ending search for new things.
One of the main reasons why people don't have much common sense these days is that the digital age has made it easier to get too much information. We are getting a huge amount of data, opinions, and false information at a speed that has never been seen before thanks to the internet and social media. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between fact and fiction, reliable sources from questionable ones, and stories that make sense when put together in this sea of information. For this reason, people might give in to cognitive biases, echo chambers, and confirmation biases, giving up critical thinking in favor of easy stories that fit with what they already think.
Also, the loss of critical thinking skills makes the lack of common sense in today's society even worse. These days, people really don't want to think deeply or analyze things carefully because they want instant gratification and are very superficial. A lot of people choose quick fixes, simple answers, and black-and-white choices over questioning assumptions, challenging orthodoxies, and looking for nuance. This intellectual laziness not only makes it harder to develop common sense, but it also promotes a culture of intellectual laziness and apathy.
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The public also thinks that common sense is less important because knowledge and expertise are becoming more valuable. In a time when credentials, titles, and academic credentials are important, it's easy to think that formal education or specialized knowledge are the only ways to show intelligence. People may then listen to authority figures or so-called "experts" without using their own judgment or common sense. This obedient submission to authority stops people from thinking for themselves, stops them from disagreeing in a healthy way, and keeps up a culture of intellectual conformity.
Besides the things already mentioned, societal norms and cultural influences also have a big impact on how common sense is. People may put loyalty to their tribes or ideological groups ahead of rational inquiry or real-world evidence in a world that is becoming more divided and polarized and where tribalism and identity politics are the norm. This tribalistic way of thinking leads to a "us vs. them" mentality, where different voices are silenced, different opinions are demonized, and critical thinking is replaced by groupthink. So, the pursuit of common sense falls behind the preservation of ideological purity and group cohesion.
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Even so, there is still a small bit of hope for the return of common sense in the modern world, amidst all the negativity and doubt. It is possible to keep this hope alive by developing intellectual virtues like open-mindedness, curiosity, and humility. These traits are good for fighting intellectual laziness and dogmatism. We can create an environment that encourages common sense by being open to learning new things, being honest about what we don't know, and having civil conversations with people who have different opinions.
Also, education is one of the most important ways to plant the seeds of common sense in the minds of future generations. Teachers can give students the tools they need to handle the complicated world we live in with wisdom and clarity by teaching them how to think critically, understand and use media, and encourage intellectual curiosity. Interdisciplinary approaches to education, which combine ideas from different fields of study, can also help students see things from different angles and give them the interdisciplinary skills they need to deal with complex problems.
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To bring back common sense in society, it is also necessary to encourage rational discourse and reasoning based on evidence in public discourse. We can build a culture that values facts over rhetoric and common sense over partisanship by improving the quality of public discourse, encouraging civil debate, and giving more weight to real-world evidence over ideological dogma. Fighting false information, teaching people how to use media, and encouraging critical thinking can also give people the tools they need to navigate the information landscape with wisdom and doubt.
To conclude, common Sense is uncommon
The lack of common sense which is uncommon in today's world is caused by many things, including too much information, intellectual laziness, blind obedience to authority, and a focus on group identities. We can plant the seeds of common sense in the intellectual soil of people, though, by encouraging intellectual virtues, critical thinking skills, and logical discourse. So, we can get past the limits of our tribal instincts, accept the variety of human experiences, and use wisdom and discernment to get through the complicated modern world. As we start our journey together to become a more enlightened society, let us remember what Aristotle said: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
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