Generally, with the rise in literacy and income levels, the standard of living should go up. This is not so with the present society. Most people boast of having senses like the Knowledge sense, Money sense, Digital sense, Health sense, Dress sense, Civic sense, etc. However, they have little or no idea of Common sense, the vital aspect of the life. In fact, they will rebuke as ” What is it, Nonsense? Some might even search this on the Internet while few would equate it with the Google.The educated people tend to display less of this sense than the illiterates. The human mind has become blunt with the advent of computers to the extent that people have almost lost their memory and mental capacities. For anything and everything, they seek the help of computer and Internet. A stage will come when man will not have any thinking and reasoning powers and will become slave of the digital devices(robots).
What is ‘Common Sense?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary calls it as a sound judgment based on the mere perception of a situation or fact. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it is the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment required to live in a reasonable and safe way. In short, it is a practical application of knowledge and mind to decide anything. This sense is different from the common or general knowledge. A graduate might be good at general knowledge but lacking in the common sense. However, there are school dropouts that exhibit great depth of common sense and administration skills.
Reasons for the poor level of common sense.
Ignorance about its value. In public places like the library, club, airport lounge, etc., some people have the habit of grabbing and keeping all the newspapers and magazines with them, least bothered about how other visitors will avail the common facility.
Selfishness for personal interest and convenience. When an individual changes the TV channels endlessly in search of his preference, the rest of the audience get frustrated. A money-conscious person will switch off the fans and lights in his home, but ignores the same at the office where he is not the owner. Politicians give attractive promises that cannot be implemented.
Casualness leads to a carefree approach. Acts like throwing the lit cigarettes, and spitting in the public places affect the safety of pedestrians. Rash driving, Using the cell phones while driving and walking, and the haphazard parking of the vehicles not only pose the traffic problem but endanger the lives of the self and others moving on the road.
Craziness for thrill and fame induce some towards adventurous things. Taking selfies in dangerous conditions such as the building rooftops, mountain cliffs, and running trains show the neglect for common sense. Walking on the steel ropes hung between the two buildings, Eating the poisonous insects are some examples of this.
Competition and responsibilities make many people forget the common sense. When his father suffered a heart attack, the son hastily drove the car ignoring the traffic signal. To present a rosy picture of the business, the boss of a company tweaked the financial reports without a second thought, that the truth will be exposed one day. Some individuals mix the problems of office and home affecting the productivity and peace of mind.
Laziness is another reason behind the absence of common sense. Many people do not replace the objects in the place from where they picked up. In a housing society, some households leave their motorcycles in the buildings’ entrance blocking the common passage.
How to develop the Common sense?
Some reliable methods are given here to improve the common sense. 1) Launching a curriculum on Common sense at all levels of educational system 2) Sensitizing the masses about its importance through widespread publicity 3) Learning from the experiences of others by reading the write-ups like this article and the thoughts of others shared through print and digital media, and 4) Self-practice in all situations is the best of all.
The benefits of Common sense. It results in safety and security of life and helps in saving money, resources, efforts, and time. The most noteworthy benefit is the gain of peace and happiness to everyone in the second society.
Let wiser counsel prevail with the common sense.
(Author is a Ex-Banker and can be contacted on tmohan0311@hotmail.com)
