Have you noticed a decline in common sense? What used to be key in decision making is now often buried under personal agendas and individual views. This shift makes me wonder: where did common sense go, and how can we bring it back? Shared personal biases can often lead to false narratives, creating fragmented thinking. Instead, we should be focusing on critical thinking and encouraging open conversations of the issues to foster a society where common sense once again prevails.
Understand How Common Sense Eroded
Common sense, the ability to make sound judgments based on shared experiences and practical reasoning, is eroding in today's world due to several factors. The rise of personal agendas, amplified by social media, often overshadows collective reasoning, creating echo chambers that reinforce individual beliefs instead of fostering common understanding. In addition, we have an overwhelming volume of information available that can lead to confusion and reliance on biased sources. It can sometimes seem like everyone and anyone are experts on a topic as long as they have a website. Lastly, our culture lacks a unified framework of common sense for understanding issues, that constantly leads our society to misunderstandings and conflict.
Why the Decline Occurred
To make sense of the decline in common sense, we must consider a few factors. Confirmation bias leads individuals to favor information that aligns with their existing beliefs, hindering the acceptance of practical solutions that may conflict with those views. Then there is the “fear of judgment” that discourages people from expressing common-sense ideas, prompting them to align with more popular or extreme opinions instead. Economic and social pressures further influence decision-making, often prioritizing immediate benefits over long-term, sensible solutions.
How to Implement Common Sense in Your Environment
To promote the growth of common sense in your environment outside of societal trends, start with critical thinking. Begin with questioning and analyzing information to evaluate the validity of current arguments. Don’t jump to conclusions. Take time to develop the ability to understand others and manage your emotions. This can lead to more empathetic and rational decision-making. Talk with people from different backgrounds and diverse perspectives to broaden your understanding and find universal truths. Look at complex issues and break them down into smaller, manageable parts to better understand and address them. Staying on the issue at hand and not bringing outside factors into a topic can reduce the impact of bias on your choices.
Encourage Common Sense with Action
Encouraging open dialogue creates space for diverse ideas to be shared and evaluated. Lead by example through your actions by starting the conversation and insisting on information sharing to find common ground. You would be surprised to find the more you conversate and break down the issues with those from opposite backgrounds, the more you will witness some similar points of agreed common sense. That you then can expand on and possibly find a mutual solution for a problem.
While common sense may seem elusive in today's complex world, understanding the factors contributing to its decline and actively working to cultivate it in our environments can help restore its presence. By engaging in critical thinking, seeking diverse perspectives, and leading by example, individuals can champion a return to the sensible, practical decision-making that benefits society as a whole.
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