The Rarity of Common Sense Today

We were returning home one afternoon, when, right at the center of the crossroads near our house, a lorry was parked, blocking all access to any vehicle that had to use the roads. Requests made to the driver to move the lorry a little, so that we, and the others behind us, could drive on to our homes that were just across, fell on deaf ears. But when someone remarked aloud, “Do you have common sense”, he got all incensed, and cussed. He may have been having a rough day, but that couldn’t be an excuse for this blatant breach of road rules! And what about those who nonchalantly park their cars/vehicles right in front of your gate, or thereabouts, and coolly strolling off to lookup a friend living down your lane, or, simply go about their business totally unconcerned about the aberration committed! Have you noticed how, at times, your clean and well-kept pathway becomes someone else’s parking lot? Well, that’s not all.

 

A neighbour who walks his dog every morning/evening, conveniently uses the stretch just outside your compound wall as his doggie’s toilet, and doesn’t care a jot! Such people would always turn a blind eye while their dear pets defecate in front of your gate. Not a rare sight this! Even well-meaning neighbours find it hard to understand what the fuss is about when you try to tell them. Walking one’s dog, as far as some people go, is a euphemism for allowing their pet to relieve itself anywhere else but near their houses. What strange logic, this? I overheard a person ask another, very rudely, if he should build a toilet for his dog in his house! Each of these incidents set me thinking deeply on the important trait of Common Sense that many of us today seem to lack.

 

When we first came into this, our serene neighbourhood twenty years ago, there was this gentleman who had half a dozen golden retrievers whom everybody loved, for they were very friendly fellows, true to their nature. But never once did the man take advantage of the people’s affection for his dogs. Whenever he let the dogs out, he was behind them, poo-picker and plastic packet in hand, just in case. That is simple common sense, civic sense too! Just as much as my freedom to swish my fist stops when your nose begins, anything we do, must always take others into consideration. Sweeping my yard clean shouldn’t translate into dumping my refuse on the roadside. I am certain we have all witnessed people drop their trash at the feet of the corporation dustbins, obliterating their very purpose; and some of us may even be guilty of the same act. 

 

This brings me to another section of us whose cars/vehicles have floodlights instead of headlights. Well, we are not to blame; our cars come fitted, fancifully fierce with LED headlights, that not only floodlight the road from one end to another, but also adversely affect oncoming drivers by their blinding glare! Little wonder then road accidents are aplenty! Whatever happened to the tradition of “dip and dim” that was a road rule, polite and respectful! I was witness to a highly educated woman whose LED headlights not only blinded a young man but also blindsided him into momentary inertia on the road. Striding out of her Scorpio, she went up to the bewildered and beleaguered young man, her headlights still flash-blinding him, yelling at him for not moving to a side to let her vehicle pass. That incident, like the ones mentioned above, and so many others you may have encountered in your life, speak volumes of a lack of common sense; an insensitivity that adds insult to injury. Though not physically hurt, I am certain that that young man must have been fatally wounded, emotionally, by the woman’s selfishness and indifference to his plight. Often times I wonder what Wonders a little less ego and a little more humility can do when common sense takes center stage in all our lives! In today’s world, most of us are ever ready to take the “speck” from our neighbour’s eye, but refuse to even acknowledge the “log” in our own. And how about the many instances of precious lives lost while taking dangerous selfies! What spirit of adventure can reduce one to playing dumb enough to put one’s head in a lion’s mouth! That’s exactly what can happen when common sense is left behind.   

 

For me, common sense (self) and civic sense (others) go hand-in-hand. Employing simple, unpretentious wisdom and discernment on the part of self and others can help pre-empt, or even, avoid many an unnecessary, sour situation. The world can’t stop talking about the overwhelming influence of social media while being caught in its vice-like grip. AI is all set to cross the threshold of every conceivable domain. So, who are we fooling? Progress comes with its own baggage, and at a price; but if we continue to nurture and use our God-given tools/traits of wisdom and discernment, we will be able to consider the consequences of our words and actions on others and on ourselves.

 

Common sense is, indeed, a rarity today, but, thank God, not extinct. By valuing practical prudence as much as academic intelligence and digital knowledge, I am quite positive that we, as a society, can restore this essential trait/tool. The key, I believe, lies in balancing modern advancement with basic logic. The gap (or, better still, chasm) between theoretical knowledge and real-life application is what results in a dearth of common sense even among the educated. Ironical, yet sadly true. Here’s to holding forte against ‘akrasia’, and holding on to the most uncommon form of intelligence: Common Sense (Evan Esar)!