In a world overflowing with information yet often lacking in judgment, common sense stands as an underappreciated treasure. As the saying goes, “Common sense is a flower that doesn’t grow in everyone’s garden.” This elegant metaphor captures a profound truth: what we call “common” sense is paradoxically uncommon, requiring fertile conditions of experience, wisdom, and perceptiveness to truly flourish.
The Essence of Common Sense
Common sense transcends mere knowledge or intelligence—it represents the practical application of wisdom. It’s born from life experiences and manifests as sound judgment in everyday situations. A person with common sense doesn’t avoid touching a hot stove simply because they’ve read about burns; they intuitively understand cause and effect relationships in practical contexts.
This practical wisdom extends beyond self-preservation to social intelligence. Common sense involves empathy and understanding of the human condition, allowing for more harmonious relationships and smoother navigation through life’s complexities. It’s about being “street-smart”—possessing a natural intuition for effective solutions to ordinary problems.
Benjamin Franklin: Common Sense Personified
Benjamin Franklin exemplifies how common sense can lead to extraordinary achievements. As a statesman, inventor, writer, and scientist, Franklin approached problems with remarkable practicality. His innovations—the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, and the Franklin stove—weren’t products of complex theoretical science but rather elegant solutions to everyday challenges.
Franklin’s contributions to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution demonstrated his ability to apply practical wisdom to governance. His distilled insights in “Poor Richard’s Almanack” reveal a profound understanding of human nature and the value of sensible thinking in daily life.
Franklin’s legacy reminds us that while common sense may be rare, it remains invaluable and can lead to remarkable accomplishments when cultivated and applied.
Cultivating Common Sense
Daily Affirmation: “Today, I will embrace the simplicity of common sense in my decisions, remembering that the most practical solution is often the best.”
Wisdom on Common Sense
“Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense.” — Thomas Huxley
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.” — Albert Einstein
“Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.” — Thomas A. Edison
“Common sense is the measure of the possible; it is composed of experience and prevision; it is calculation applied to life.” — Henri Frederic Amiel
“Common sense is the foundation of all authorities, of the laws themselves, and of their construction.” — Thomas Jefferson