“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18.”
Albert Einstein

Common sense is common because it favors the answer that seems obvious to the many. Yet truth is often subtle, nuanced, contextual and relative. Rarely is it black and white and almost always it is a matter of opinion.

Politicians and charlatans often appeal to common sense as a ploy. They use it to deflect inquiry and to lead the intellectually lazy and gullible down all manner of paths. Likewise, many people aver common sense because they fear to press beyond the obvious—to discover what might lie beyond their comfortable assumptions. As T.S. Eliot said, “only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

© Michael Maurer Smith 2009