7 Decades of Change — What We See Less Of

Part 5 of 7

If this is the first time you’ve seen this series, check out Part 1 then follow the breadcrumb at the end.

Common sense

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. –Albert Einstein

I’ve always equated a lack of common sense with foolishness or stupidity. What comes to mind is The World’s Dumbest Criminals, with almost 200 episodes over 16 seasons. A more extreme example was an acquaintance who continued to smoke while on oxygen and blew up his apartment. This proves beyond any doubt that…

Common sense is not so common. –Voltaire

In The Decline of Common Sense, Vincent Ryan Ruggiero blames the “mind stuffing” strategy of the education system and advocates teaching critical thinking skills and logic. I finished high school in 1977 and wish I’d learned those skills. I deeply regret the lack of them now and wonder if it’s too late to gain them–even if I knew where to start.

In Bruce G. Charlton’s article about “clever sillies”, he explains why there’s a negative rather than a positive correlation between high IQ and exhibiting common sense.

These can be seen as specific examples of the general phenomenon of ‘clever…