Commonsense: Most Uncommon

Commonsense is very uncommon in common people. Have you ever heard of wet water, black darkness? Indeed, we often look upon common sense as a blind instinct. It is a quality that neither wealth nor learning can confer on a man. So what is common sense actually? It is a sound practical judgement that is independent of specialized knowledge, training and normal native intelligence. It is supposed to come as a gift from above, and that one is inborn. Common sense is only the combination of experience with intelligence. It’s an ability to use experience to meet immediate circumstances. It is practical wisdom applied to common life. It implies swift decision, and a capacity to do the right thing without fumbling. If a man is to have only one sense let him by all means have common sense. For without common sense, he is of no use at all. He may know how to do the job, but to be successful he must apply that knowledge effectively using his commonsense.

Tact is the gift of common sense and it is more important than talent. In the practical affairs of life, the value of common sense is great indeed. It helps one to make the most of one's knowledge and experience. Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist and poet, once said, “Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes." There are many people in the world who are smart and intelligent. However, not all have common sense. It is true that ‘common sense is after all, not so common.'

Many people, especially those who are educated, take common sense for granted as they believe that the world runs based on the concepts found in their encyclopedias and books. Sadly, this is not the way of life. In fact, ordinary people and those with an average Intelligence Quotient (IQ) may have more sense of the ‘real world’ than someone with a degree or a high qualification. Those who are well-educated and are bookish may not necessarily be smart. Where book learning confuses and misleads, common sense may stand him in good stead. Because it is born of experience, it comes easily to the common man who works with his own hands.
                             
Common sense is what makes for permanence and continuity and sweeps away much that is merely eccentric and out of the way. It governs the day-to-day life of a man. To survive in the world, one needs skills and knowledge. But only having knowledge and skills doesn’t make a successful person until it is accompanied by common sense. Educated people often make mistakes not because they lack skill and knowledge but because of proper judgment. Without proper judgement and commonsense education is baseless. One must use his commonsense to deal with day-to-day situations and problems effectively. Knowledge comes from Schools and colleges but to be a genius in the real world one should have practical judgement and commonsense. It is more important to have Common sense than knowledge. The use of commonsense is essential to achieve success in life.