Common Sense It is the idea that different groups have different narratives, we have different ways to define the “good”. According to the book “the only common sense Is the realization that there is no universal common sense” (65). However "common sense" exist since we may not always understand that people around us are all different and have different ways to perceive things. I believe in Aldous Huxley's quote "the more you know the more you know the more you see". The more we get aware and learn about the world around us like different cultures we may understand that there isn't always such thing as common sense.
Once again I can relate this theory about my experience as a foreigner in the U.S. People that do not know me often get very confused when I don't understand what they are saying or mean. Even though I lived in the country for years and may not have much of an accent it is sometimes very hard for me to understand for example pop-cultural references, and I always feel like I have to explain for new people that I am foreign. I used to believe that there was such a thing like "common sense" before I moved abroad but my experience abroad have taught me that there is a lot of different ways to perceive the world.
I think you brought up a great example for the indication that every person walking on this earth has a valued and shared common sense. It is not realistic or common for us to have such same ideas of what makes sense and doesn’t. You mentioned in your post ‘perceiving the world’ has changed your ways of looking at common sense. I think this is part of creating a new common sense as an individual as life goes on but not an assumed understanding between each person.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five Ronald Arnett states, “Common sense emerges from the communities we know and the practices we do” (Pg. 63). I think your example correlates well into his view of just how common sense could be understood by everyone. We take personal examples and advise within our culture and community, while then applying that to real life situations. I think this comment by him expresses a similar statement of yours. You mentioned not being able to grasp every pop culture remark that comes your way due to you being foreign and I think his statement holds true to your opinion. We learn from our own individual culture and that then develops our sense of ‘common sense’.
I think an important aspect the book states is that the only common sense is the realization that there is no common sense (65). Realistically, common sense doesn't exist because the idea of common sense being something that is universal cannot be applied to every culture. All cultures represent a narrative as discussed in the previous comment and each narrative has different applications of common sense. However, even though there are many similarities in each cultural narratives, many people still don't share the same ideas of all common sense. For example, my room mate and I are both from the same town and come from similar backgrounds, but she thinks its common sense to wash your dishes when your done. Where as I prefer to wash all my dishes at the end of the day. It is important to recognize that they're many different values and perceptions that people have in life. Thus, it is important to consider that everyone has different ideas of common sense and that we respect everyone's ideas of common sense.
ReplyDeleteI would say common sense can be individualized to a person and only that person. My ideas of common sense belong to me, and often times I share ideas of common sense with others but not all common sense is universal. I think that it is interesting how rhetoric is used to communicate ideas of common sense to a cultural. For example, the rhetoric behind the legal system is suppose to assist in protecting people in the community and it is said that it is common sense to not break the law or you will be punished. However, some people don't know when they are breaking the law or they choose to break the law. In addition, if someone comes from a cultural where there is no legal system they wont understand this common sense. One could generally say, that breaking the law could result in some type of response, but many different responses can occur. Moreover, growing up in a society with a legal system trains people in the U.S. culture to "abide" by the law or utilize the law in a way that benefits them. Thus, the rhetoric of the law attempts to endorse and control the actions of people. It is important to understand the rhetoric of the law in order to navigate your way in the community.
Hello! Thank you for sharing your posting!
ReplyDeleteI really understand what you are saying because I am an international student. I sometimes don't understand or agree with what people saying regarding to pop-culture becaue I don't know much about it. Regardign to Obama's speech about restrcint gun usage, I somehow understand it because killing innocent person by shooing is bad. The textbooks says, "Common sense consists of a background of experiences from which we draw our ideas and insights for decision making." It is common sense to me to restrct the use of gun because it relates to my moral concpets which comes from my background and experience. However, I can say it is a story pretty unrelated to me because I am from a country where gun was totally unacceptable and, therefore, there is no accident happend due to the gun. The textbook also says, "Different persons with contrasting backgrounds and experiences make a universal background of common sense." Since I have no experience of having gun accidents at all, Obama's speech comes to be understood far from me and makes it hard to be understood as common sense.