Common Sense

An endangered species?

from JoeUser Forums
“…Common sense is nothing more than the voices of the thousands and thousands of ghosts of our past.”

I have paraphrased this from Robert Pirsig’s book ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. If this is indeed the case, then it appears a lot of people either no longer believe in ghosts or have some how become deaf to these voices. Common sense, along with personal responsibility, good manners and even grace under pressure all appear to be rare and perhaps even endangered characteristics these days. But why has this happened? Is it the desperate struggle to accumulate material possessions or the struggle to maintain sanity in the face of a seemingly endless barrage of temptations? Is it because we live in large, crowded and noisy cities because this is where the work we do can be found? Is it because television provides an endless supply of programming featuring egocentric people getting away with the sort of things our parents would have been horrified about?

I don’t have any answers, just a lot more questions. Some will come back here and undoubtedly say it is ‘the erosion of Christian values’, to which I will say right off the bat – don’t bother. I don’t believe this to be the case. If it were the case, then Australia would have a lot more problems than we do as we have a large multi-cultural, multi-religious population. I don’t doubt the problem is complex. I have a healthy layman’s interest in Sociology and a small understanding of how this affects humanity. I also believe I can still hear the 'ghosts' from my past, therefore I do have a modicum of common sense about the things I do and the way I live my life. I’m just hoping some else out there might give me some insight. Anyone?
misc
11,183 views 27 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I would suspect that it's all about the "ME" factor and the fear of losing or lacking behind one's peers in terms of material things, status and money. Or maybe they fail to see themselves as a part of a bigger whole.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
I don't have an answer for you, all I can say is it is interesting that I was planning on writing an article about common sense today as well, taking the spin that it seems a misnomer as I don't find it to be common at all.

But I think Raven has a good point. It is all about me. And that puts such blinders on us that we simply cannot see the forest for the trees of me.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Oww Man! I typed a whole comment and it's been deleted, JU sux when it's being shitty!

Anyway, what i said was that i think you're right Maso, when you say we're influenced by TV. All this reality show makes us all being wanna treated like stars. Where rules and regulations are only applicable to others and we're above them all.

Like the whole world is becoming this rebellious teenager, in a quest of eternal youth or something lol!

You never know what's in the mass subconscious mind of today's society!
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I think you all bring up good points, but the "why" remains unanswered...and is likely unanswerable. At what point did personal responsibility go out the window? It's not even really the "me" attitude. For example, on a large scale if you love your life you would want to be more environmentally aware, and try not to do things that will endanger the Earth and therefore your life - you selfishly want to protect your life and do so by protecting the Earth. On a small scale, if you want people to treat you with respect you have to treat others with respect. It seems like these days I hear a lot of people spouting the phrase "you reap what you sow" (or similar) but no one seems to want to walk the walk. I suppose it is something that has eroded over many, many years. It's a topic that I think deserves some close scrutiny and discussion, but as of right now I have no insights.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Raven, I agree with you in some respects but I think it is also a 'standard' answer. The 'me' generation is often pointed to as being a selfish, materialistic group. But the problem with using generalised categorisations is that a lot of people are caring, spiritual and self-aware but constantly get lumped under a general heading not applicable to who they are and they fall through the cracks.

Or maybe they fail to see themselves as a part of a bigger whole


This is more what I think the problem could be. It is not so much 'me, me, me' but more 'where do I fit in?' and 'how do I fit in?' Well said...

Bluedev, I hope this article won't stop you from writing yours. I think it is a subject that bears much discussion. As I said to Raven, I partly agree with the 'me' idea. There does seem to be a new level of selfishness in the general community I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe it was always there but I've only recently been able to see it. Either way, it is disturbing to see this attitude on the rise.

the whole world is becoming this rebellious teenager


IG, I think you may be on to something here. In a recent review of a movie called 'Sideways', the reviewer points out the two main characters as being losers and on a larger scale, as representations of society in general. At first, I was a little put off by his description, but then he added they were 'happy, mostly fulfilled losers'. I realised this is the view a lot of people in positions of power or affluence look at the general population. The problem is the general population is a lot smarter than this perception so the 'me' generation perpetuates its selfishness in response to being thought of as losers. Thanks for your comments.

Cordelia, I am inclined to agree with your position. One of my favourite quotes is from Mohandas K Gandhi: "Be the change you want to see in the world". For most though, the idea of 'walking the walk' is just too much of a risk we are not prepared to take. We are all selfish on some level, be it with the time we want to spend with our family and friends or with our knowledge or finances. Like you, I don't have any insights but see this is perhaps an ongoing question that does need much discussion. Thanks for dropping by and for your comments.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Their are too many cliches to name as far as coomon sense goes... a) it's not common at all, and b) people have more dollars then sense... so on and so forth...

Common sense went out the window for most when some lady won a law suit because her coffee was too hot and she spilt it on her lap or something...

I find it's best not to think about it, because the truth hurts. It is good to know some people have sense, it's just not as common as it should be.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
it's just not as common as it should be


This is so true.

Common sense went out the window for most when some lady won a law suit because her coffee was too hot and she spilt it on her lap or something


Yeah, or when people started suing fast food chains for making them obese etc. There are so many instances of common sense being abandoned in favour of large amounts of cash, it is sickening.

Thanks for your comments.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Common sense went out the window for most when some lady won a law suit because her coffee was too hot and she spilt it on her lap or something...


I used to think the same. Then I actually found out what happened in that situation. It makes a great catch phrase for these sorts of topics, but only when expressed in utter ignorance of what actually occured. It is a rather disturbing story really, in which MacDonalds demonstrated themselves to be quite a horrendous corporation.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
BlueDev, do you know the whole story? It has always intrigued me as to how something like this was allowed to go ahead by the courts. I thought there might have been more to it and now you say there was. Is there a link or something where I could see the details. Any information would be gratefully received.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yeah Blue Dev, i'd like to know too, i always thought she was a dumbass for suing them for her own mistake, heh!
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
BlueDev, I, too, have read the facts about the McDonald's lawsuit. For everyone else who wants to know more, go google and type in "mcdonald's coffee lawsuit" and you'll find about a zillion (ok, 22,900) hits and most of them tell one side or another. There's not one link that's unbiased out of the top 20, so just hit a few.

Nutshell: Basically, McD's knew their coffee was about 20 degrees hotter than other establishments, and they'd had customers burn themselves before, and did nothing. Apparently their experts were pretty haughty about it on the stand. And the woman who made the case got her sentence reduced on appeal, too, which doesn't really get reported.

But I still think it's frivolous: She chose to put the cup between her legs, and DRIVE, which was stupid as we all know that coffee is hot. Given that millions of cups of that stuff are served every day, millions of people drink it successfully. A few get burned, but that happens when you're clumsy or not careful or if there's an unforseen accident. It has to do with the drinker, not the business serving it (provided that they don't actually pour it on you). So while McD's acted reprehensibly, I don't believe they were in the wrong. It was still her choice.

That said, the death of common sense seems to be due to a misguided feeling of entitlement. We all feel we should get our day in court but choose poorly what day that should be. I think a lot of us--myself definitely included--don't pick our battles very well, and maybe we haven't grown up enough, so we still look for someone to arbitrate our dispute. That's why we get stupid lawsuits.

We also refuse to accept that as humans, we--me and you and everyone--say and do stupid things. And we don't move on when someone does it to us. Maybe we're all a little narcissistic, and no one else is quite as smart as we each think we are. I know I think I'm a lot smarter than a lot of people. But sometimes I forget to take that damn plank out of my eye when I reach for the speck in my neighbor's.

-A's $0.02.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Sheesh, I'm long-winded. Sorry.

-A.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
Angloesque, thanks so much for the information. As you say, it was a pretty dumb thing for the woman to do to start with, and a frivilous waste of court time, as far as I'm concerned. I also think you might have hit on a partial answer to my question with the following:

the death of common sense seems to be due to a misguided feeling of entitlement


As for your 'people do and say stupid things', I couldn't agree with more. I'm as guilty, if not more so, of the most amazing blunders, gaffs, faux pars, trips, spills, falls and general all-round clumsiness. But I have never once considered suing anyone for any of my actions. In fact, I would hate to put myself into a public forum where I have to detail any embarrassing event. As for me being smart, well, I am constantly learning new things others find surprising I don't know. I like to think of myself as a seeker of knowledge, so considering myself to be smart actually acts as a hindrance to my seeker state.

Incidentally, don't apologise for being long winded. I really appreciate you doing the research and passing the information on. Thanks a bunch and also for stopping by. It is good to hear from you and I hope your hubby is doing better.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
A was on the right track, but there are some key elements missing. The info I got on it came from a lawyer involved in the case (not on either side, but an MD/JD who was called in to analyse both sides from both a medical and legal perspective).

Yep, MacDonalds kept their coffee 20 degrees too hot (it makes the smell stronger, hopefully enticing more purchases). Yes, the lady was stupid to put the coffee between her legs as she drove off. Dumb on both sides.

Coffee spills, gets into crevices and the next thing she knows the lady has 2nd degree burns over her entire perineum (the area of skin from pubis to anus), with some 3rd degree spots here and there. Nice picture, no? Miserable, miserable condition to be in. She goes to the hospital, receives pretty extensive treatment for the burns and asks MacDonalds to pay the medical bills. Nothing else. She didn't ask for additionaly pay, just the medical bills (which, according to their own greivance policy MacDonalds is obligated to cover for any injury received at their fault).

McDs offers her $600. Trust me, taking care of burns over your entire perineum costs more than $600. So she tries again. And again. Third time she gets a lawyer. Again, all they ask for was medical bills. Again, McDs refuses. So then the lawyer decides to take it to them (not the patient, though she did go along). They go to court, and the JURY awards her the millions. The award amount was decided on by the JURY, which was then cut significantly by the judge (and further lowered in the appelate process).

Long story short, lady did a dumb thing, McDs screwed up and then tried to keep screwing her, and the jury decided to make a statement with the case.

Hope that clears things up.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
The degradation of society can be laid at the feet of countless well meaning parents who encouraged their children to go to law school.............

That said, and not excusing Micky Dees for failing to accept some responsibility, a corporation cannot promote good will for fear of contingent liability. It was a financial decision ( made with legal counsel I bet )that it was cheaper to fight paying the woman's bills, instead of going on record as willing to assist her.

So it goes...........
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hey BlueDev, thanks for adding to the information. It is amazing how much the story is twisted around by the world's media. But as you point out, it was "dumb on both sides". Incidentally, the very thought of 2nd and 3rd degree burns to the perineum made me cringe. How much would that hurt? Thanks again mate, and I wish you and your family all the best for Easter.

radation of society can be laid at the feet of countless well meaning parents who encouraged their children to go to law school


But you also raise an interesting point. I've heard of companies that are basically too scared to do anything to help anyone for fear of litigation if their attempts fail. it really is a sad indictment on the world. What's next? Charities being sued for not providing help soon enough? Scary, isn't it?
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
There are so many instances of common sense being abandoned in favour of large amounts of cash


I think you may be on to something right there. "show me the money" is what seems to turn the world.That and liability and job security and....and...

I don't know ~shrug~

Great article!! Man oh man I hope you write an article about gumption traps! That part of the book nailed down so much for me....
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Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hey Shovel, is it game-show culture, where the general population thinks they deserve something for very little? Its hard to pin it down on one thing, though. Like you say, 'I don't know'... As for gumption traps, there are things brewing about this and I intend to write something about this shortly.
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
I hate to say it but "the system" somewhat encourages it because it encourages selfishness.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
Champas, so true. If I think about this too much, I feel sad. It is not the way I want to see the world going.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
My little slant on the situation is that people are driven more by fear than anything else. We're living in larger cities, surrounded by many, many more people than ever before, yet we're more isolated and disconnected. Without a feeling of community - that feeling that if you drop the ball, someone will be around to help you pick it up, or even do it for you - the only thing that we can focus on to guarantee some form of safety is ourselves. If I don't look after me, who will?

Our relationships don't last as long, family is that inconvenience on Christmas and whilst we have friends, they are also concerned about looking after themselves. It's not a very nice picture, is it?

Now, this isn't my view of the world. I think the only thing that you can have as a certainty is that nothing is permanent. I'm more of a carpe diem kinda gal. But I know a lot of people who rely so much on their own self reliance for piece of mind and comfort that they find it hard to see beyond themselves.

Anyway - it's early and I may not be talking sense. Great article Maso!

Suz xxx
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
Suz, you hit the nail right on the head. Have an insightful. I've been putting together something half-arsed in my head along these lines for a while. The use of fear to control and contain the masses is not a new idea and without wanting to open a can of worms, I believe Mike Moore touched on this in Bowling For Columbine. I've had this in the back of my mind since seeing the movie and I've been concerned to see some sections of Australian mainstream media using this technique more and more.

The Australian government is no less guilty. Posters on buses asking people to be on the lookout for 'terrorist behaviour' are raising collective paranoia levels to an all-time high. This paranoia isolates far too many individuals and debilitates societies. Like you, I work hard at not having this view of the world either. Communities do exist, even in large cities. It is just they're viewed as a eccentricity rather than a standard, which is really quite sad, when you think about it.

Thanks again for your input, Suz. I'd love to hear your take on how London is doing from this perspective. Send me an email, girl. My addresses are on my home page.

Cheers,

Maso
Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
I will respond to this properly, I promise, but for now I think you should know that I GOT FLOOR TICKETS TO BECK!!!!!!!!

Just another happy reminder of how kick arse it is living over here....
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Argghh, yeah thanks for letting me know. I'm waiting to see if he will tour his new album out here. His show at the Hordern (I've got a signed poster on my wall from that show) was awesome. Have you heard his new album yet? It absolutely rocks and has to be my most favourite release of the last 6 months.

I saw Gomez last weekend at a new festival on Cockatoo Island (just in case you don't know, it is a large island in Sydney Harbour, between the Harbour Bridge and the Gladesville Bridge. It was open to the public for the festival for the first time in 70 years or so and was brilliant). It was a 3 day event, but we only went on the Saturday. Saw lots of different music, with Gomez being the big highlight. The other kick-arse performance was from Mick Hart (don't know if you've heard of him or not). It was a fantastic day.
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
*drool*

Mick Hart???? I am so sad that I left my Mick Hart CD's with a friend back home. I have been wanting to listen to Butterfly for too long! He actually wrote a song for the fiance of a friend of mine who died. The name of the song is escaping me now... I've never seen Gomez, which is a shame and something that I need to recitfy. I have never heard a bad review of them.

I saw Doves the other night, who were amazing. And went to the Chemical Brothers the weekend before Easter (my poor brain is only just recovering). Got Nine Inch Nails tickets for July and am way too over excited already. Getting back to Oz and having to pay a fortune to see people again is going to kill me.

Oh dear - I have spent too much time on the computer already and it's not even 9am. Crap! best be off to have a shower and pay some attention to my nephew.

Take care,

Suz xxx

P.S. SIGNED POSTER? BASTARD!