Anne, who has become one of my faithful national Westside Story readers from New York got me to thinking after she sent a piece published in the London Times dealing with common sense or the lack thereof.
When I was growing up, my parents drilled the concept of common sense into my developing personality. Common sense is a fantastic tool for not only solving problems but more importantly avoiding problems. Common sense has served me well my entire life. Schools, parents, and ministers should teach stand-alone classes in common sense.
I feel compelled to suggest that our world can become a better place if each of us develops the habit of making a concerted effort to use three easy life management techniques or tests as we go about our daily living. The techniques and tests can be applied every time we make individual personal decisions, as well as each time we analyze the decisions made by others whose incidents, events, actions, inactions end up being so egregious, we learn about them in the nightly news.
TEST #1 – COMMON SENSE: The problem with common sense, is that it is not so common anymore.
TEST #2 – COMPLY WITH AUTHORITY: To comply with authority is an easy thing to do, but no one I know of, except me, talks or teaches the concept. Parents, teachers, school principals, and police are examples of authority figures.
When something unpleasant happens such as police officer-involved shooting incident, the first question should be, did the suspect comply with lawful police orders? In some cases, the choice boils down to “Comply or Die.” Two choices, but many citizens are so rebellious against authority, they only identify one choice. Many citizens suffer unnecessary consequences because they only see one option that they belatedly discover is Die.
TEST #3: THE YOUTUBE VIDEO TEST: If what a person is thinking about doing or not doing is captured on film and goes viral on YouTube video, will the actor be proud or ashamed; found innocent or guilty? No one talks or teaches the YouTube Video Test.
QUOTE: London Times – Some thoughts to think about related to common sense.
An Obituary printed in the London Times … Absolutely Brilliant!!
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims and everything was politically correct.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by
- his parents, Truth and Trust,
- his wife, Discretion,
- his daughter, Responsibility,
- and his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I’m a Victim
- Pay Me for Doing Nothing
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Chapeau, Joe. What an awesome article!
In 1962 at age sixteen I was first introduced to Mr. Common Sense. He took the form of a police officer with uniform, badge, gun, Smokey the Bear hat and a calm, authoritative demeanor. He explained that I had been speeding which I disagreed with. We had a brief but polite conversation about my supposed transgression, but it was obvious that I would be getting a ticket. When he brought the citation to my window, he explained that I needed to sign it, but that I wasn’t admitting guilt. I said something like “what if I don’t sign it?” He explained that I didn’t have to sign it, and could go to jail instead. Even at age sixteen, common sense prevailed and I signed the ticket. Later on I reflected that maybe I really had been speeding, so that was the end of it. I paid the fine, and did my best to conceal it from my parents. On that day a little common sense and self honesty went a long way. It was a life lesson that I never forgot.
I too was brought up to “use my common sense” and I can still hear my mom’s voice to this day.
I would add to common sense, consideration, common decency and selflessness. All important to a truly civilized society. It’s good to know that there are still those in the press that have the wherewithal to print an article like that. That too is missing in today’s world.
Least we get too preachy or morbid about the uncommonness of common sense, consider for a moment a quote from James Clive: Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.