Chapter 4 Common Sense

            Chapter 4 does a good job of explicitly stating that common sense is not universal. While something I do everyday may seem like the only right way to do something based on my experiences, my neighbor may view a situation in an opposite way. Chapter 4 states “we must curtail the impulse to judge something as having or lacking common sense by what ‘I’ know. Such judgment imposes one’s own experiences as universal truth, forgetting the increasing texture of difference in the world around us” (63). This quote does a phenomenal job at getting at the root of making assumptions about common sense: it is not fair to do so this day in age as we are increasingly becoming a more diverse world with varied interests and backgrounds.

            I grew up moving around a lot and because of that it is common sense to me that when you meet new people you introduce yourself and try to get to know them. That is how I was raised and how I would assume people treat one another when they first meet. However, I have a friend born and raised in the same house and she is much more shy when around new people. She tends to be more reserved and sometimes waits for others to make the first move. I would argue neither of these approaches is more “correct” than the other but they would both seem to be common sense to each of us. Our histories have made our common senses differ and chapter 4 demonstrates this exact point.