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I used to believe that common sense existed. You know, the usual stuff, like water is hot and fire is wet...
But then it occurred to me a few years ago, that what people believe to be 'common sense' are actually the things that nobody bothers to teach the next generation.
Meaning that common sense is only as common as one's elders teach you. So when the elders assume that you automatically know certain things, they won't bother teaching you.
Hence, common sense does not exist.
One of the most difficult things to learn about past societies is how the average person lived, because nobody would actually write that down.
It's happening again too. Gen X, boomers, and late millennials grew up thinking the young had a natural talent for computers, so they cut funding to typing and computer classes. Turns out we (the older tech talented folks) grew up with tech and were taught along the way with how to type and how to use computers.
Kids however are growing up on ipads, with UIs specifically designed to be easy to use. They're going into college not knowing how to type, how to make a PowerPoint, or even how to navigate a directory structure. Everyone assumed it was now common knowledge and it's setting them up for failure
So true. I do a bit of teaching and kids have recently lost all computer skills I thought was basic.
"Where's my work gone?"
"Where did you save it?"
"What do you mean?"
"At the end of last lesson, show me exactly what you did"
"I clicked the X here, then clicked ok"
He clicked OK to the "do you want to close this document without saving?" box. He is 19. I had to give a really detailed lesson on how to save something to not only him, but half the students I taught this year.
Ah yes, not reading the dialog box and getting upset when it does exactly what it said it would do.
An idea that transcends across generations.
Maybe being bombarded with cookie banners and bullshit popups teaches you to ignore dialog boxes.
Yes, that certently doesn't help, but this was a problem 30 years ago too.
Maybe we need dialog boxes to ocassionally ask to do stupid shit so people start reading them
- "Invert colors for 5 minutes?"
- "Make mouse gigantic for 5 min?"
- "Turn screen upsidedown for a minute?"
Now you have to read.
This actually sounds like fun!
- "Turn screen upsidedown for a minute?"
Windows has had that feature (without the timeout obv) for a long time. I think it's the Intel IGA driver and CTRL-ALT-Arrow. A decade ago when I was working for a Community College IT dept, that (and the brightest pink MLP background you could find) was always what you'd get if you walked away and didn't lock your computer.
Those kinds of pranks happened in school too. That, and tape under the mouse.
I think you just invented Windows 13.
Unfortuanlty if MS does it, they'll forget the time out part and we'll be the ones who have to undo it all.
I did IT support at one point, when they have an issue but don't know what the box said you know you're having a bad time!
And getting them to replicate the issue and NOT click through the error without reading it was a massive chore
You've just activated a form of PTSD in my brain. Stood next to someone and you see the box appear and they instantly click.
"What did that say?"
"Dunno"
Why click on it if you don't know????
Would you say that common sense changes with the generations? What was once common is no longer, and what was uncommon becomes common?
common sense changes with the generations
Not 4 generations from a massive pandemic that caused a financial collapse that caused widespread poverty and fomented the blame and hate that started the second big war and the generational stress that built, and we forgot why we fucking take vaccines.
Whoa slown down there bud. If history doesn't repeeat every hundred or so years, how will the children be able to learn history? Think of the children! /s
Once upon a time, it was considered common sense to tie your shoes. Then Velcro came along...
Wait, you weren't born knowing how to tie your shoes?
I guess about everyone (kids/teens) know how to tie their shoes, but something I saw in the last 10 years or so, kids, especially in big towns, does not how to ride a bike. I've seen teens who never rode a bike and don't know how.
Damn, really?
I almost wanted to comment about how cursive writing is getting lost these days instead, but damn, bicycles?!
Tom Scott only learned to ride a bicycle two years ago: https://youtu.be/P7GKK3liv8M
I was so surprised by that video. Of all people on earth, i for sure didn‘t think TOM doesn‘t know how to ride a bycicle.
And clocks.
LOL, I actually learned how to read analog clocks at age 9, by myself, just by watching the hands tick for like 5 minutes.
Still though, even that isn't common sense, I had to refer to prior education to know to associate the position of the hands with the hours, minutes and seconds numbers I had previously been taught.
Oh, yeah... I forgot about the common sense part. I was just thinking about changing skills.
I just figured out that nobody gives a flying fuck.
Matter of fact, how many ducks does it take to fuck a flying duck?
Besides all of what you said being wrong...
You think "a few years ago" is recent?
"Common sense" literally just means stuff most people are likely to know.
It used to be common sense to not sneak up behind a horse in the dark. But most people today have no idea why that could literally cost you your life, unless if they watched GoT or something and remember what happened to Hodor.
If horses were still everywhere, it would still be common sense. Because common sense stuff didn't need to be taught. An average person would have learned that by a certain age regardless of if anyone ever tried to teach them.
Either they'd have been kicked by a horse, or they'd have seen/heard of a person being kicked.
Most of the time when I see people make the complaint you just did, it's because they're older and don't understand information that was important for them, is no longer important for the next generation.
“Common sense” literally just means stuff most people are likely to know.
Here's the problem, who are "most people"? Have you surveyed whatever group you pick?
"Common sense" is more often than not just whatever your personal bias of "obvious" information is.
For people in my general circles it's "common sense" to use a password manager, git, etc. For plenty of people they'll just give a glazed over quizzical look/not even know what I'm talking about.
So as to say, common sense exists in some sense, but it doesn't "exist" in the meaningful way many people would like it to.
I have another example from work. Most if not all of the people I work with have personal boats, ATVs, etc, and so in their free time tow trailers pretty regularly. We also use trailers at work. Some college interns start working with us, and no one bothers to check their trailer knowledge because (you guessed it) it’s common sense. Which resulted in the college interns trying to drive a vehicle into the trailer when it wasn’t hitched up.
What the interns didn’t know is you want the trailer to be hitched to a vehicle so the front of the trailer stays in place when you’re putting weight on the back. Otherwise the trailer becomes a seesaw and the front end jumps up into the air.
My general rule is if you’re about to say something like, “That’s just common sense,” you should stop yourself. Common sense to whom? In my experience people call something “common sense” when it’s something they’re used to doing and they forget not everyone is used to doing it.
Cute argument. Love it!
I was actually kicked twice by horses when I was a child. Maybe you should pass that information along to the newer generations..
You know, actually teach what you believe should be common sense...
You know, actually teach what you believe should be common sense
...
You completely and utterly missed every point I was making if you still think that's common sense.
Here's an example of common sense in 2024, that's actually relevant to "newer generations" tho:
When someone is that incapable of understanding something, blocking them is better than wasting time repeating yourself.
Again, that's not common sense. There is no such thing as common sense.
You had to be educated to learn to use digital technology in the first place.
But maybe, just maybe you can listen to your own supposed 'common sense', and just drop your argument and go touch some grass or something.
Why do people who are also on the internet always feel like trying to say the other person doesn't go outside is a valid argument it's just as likely you're a basement dwelling virgin who hasn't seen the sun in months as it is he is.
I'm between pit stops right now, elbow deep in grease and about to have to change a starter on a Hyundai.
And I've had more than my share of relationships. Thank you for the insult though.
And yet you still find all this time to argue on the internet? Hopefully one day I can be half as successful as you!
I just finished successfully replacing the starter.
I'm also finished with this comment chain.
But by creating isolated communities, the common sense will be isolated alongside into clusters of uncommon common senses which will make them not common at all.
I think you've misunderstood the comment you replied to. You're agreeing.