Common sense has been mentioned several times in my recent posts and their accompanying comments. And it is mentioned as something that despite the name seems to be increasingly uncommon.
Merriam-Webster defines common sense as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts,” which is not quite the same as “common” meaning widely held by the majority of people. Common sense is, increasingly, not being demonstrated by the majority of people. Or so it seems.
CNN airing the puppy drowning video was not common sense. Mexicans flipping out over an American cartoon was not common sense. Christians having fits over proposed mosques is not common sense. We are beset by larger and larger segments of the population showing a distinct lack of common sense. And I, for one, find it unnerving: a mass of people lacking common sense sounds a lot like a prelude to mob mentality.
The latest example of this nonsense greeted me when I logged on this morning: members of the Gainesville, Florida, Dove World Outreach Center plan to burn copies of the Koran on September 11. In response, Afghans rallied outside a mosque in Kabul this morning and chanted “Death to America.”
Jesus Krispies, people, stop and think!! Accept some responsibility for your actions. Why on earth would you deliberately burn something sacred to millions around the world (including a lot of your fellow Americans) because of something done nine years ago by fewer than a dozen extremists? And why on earth would you rally and chant “Death to (all) Americans” because of the ignorant, insensitive act of one small, non-representative group of Americans? Why deliberately provoke, offend, or condemn people who have absolutely nothing to do with your issue?
Common sense. Please, can’t we have a little more of it in the world? It is, after all, supposed to be common.
If your intention was to lead by example… good show.
Thx. Not intentional. Just the way I roll. Or try to.
The most notable subject that relates to this was the individual that sued McDonalds because they spilled coffee on themselves and didn’t realize that steaming liquid is hot. Thus they have to put that little “Oh by the way, this hot coffee might just be hot” label on the coffee cups now (and if it wasn’t McDonalds, then some other chain of fast food. I dont keep track anymore)
If we need to tell you coffee is hot, or that Ice is slippery, and your a grown adult, I believe other questions need to be raised.
This also falls under “Reasons why we cant have nice things” as a species.
Sad, isn’t it, that our daily lives are geared to accommodate the lowest common denominator, whether we like it or not.