Common Sense as a Paradigm of Thought

An Analysis of Social Interaction

Tim Delaney

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9780429846625
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psicología
• Subtopic: Psicología cognitiva y cognición

The notion of common sense and abiding by its implications is something that, seemingly, everyone agrees is a good way of making behavioral decisions and conducting one's daily activities. This holds true whether one is a liberal, moderate, or conservative; young or old; and regardless of one's race and ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. If utilizing common sense is such a good idea, why then, do so many people seem to violate it? This is just one of many significant questions surrounding the idea of common sense explored and discussed in this book.

This volume presents common sense as a 'paradigm of thought' and as such, compares it to other major categories of thought — tradition, faith, enlightened and rational. Combining a balance of practical, everyday approaches (through the use of popular culture references and featured boxes) and academic analysis of core and conceptual methodological issues, Delaney demonstrates:

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• The limitations of common sense and its place in everyday social interactions

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• How we learn about common sense

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• Why common sense is so important

Common Sense as a Paradigm of Thought introduces readers to a rich variety of sociological authors and will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as: sociology, philosophy, social psychology, cultural studies, communications and health studies.

1 An Introduction to the Notion of Common Sense

Introduction

I recently purchased a new car and the finance officer at the dealership asked me if I would like to purchase the extended warranty. My first thoughts were, “No, I do not want an additional cost added to my monthly payments and, this is how ‘they’ get you—with add-on costs.” It was a hassle enough bargaining on a price that the salesperson and I could agree on and now this new additional cost? So, I passed on the “offer.” The finance guy, trying to make a significant point, held up his iPhone and added, “Do you see this? The electronics in your car are essentially equal to 10 of these [smart phones] and if just one major electronic component breaks down it will cost you more than the extended warranty.” Hmm … that is something to consider. He made it sound like it was a matter of common sense to make such a purchase.

So, readers, what do you think? Is it “common sense” to purchase an extended warranty for the peace of mind associated with it along with the potential savings of thousands of dollars? Or, is it common sense not to pay the extra money because “everyone knows” that an extended warranty is a “rip-off”? Depending on a variety of factors, but especially based on one’s own experience with a major purchase such as an automobile, applying the notion of common sense could be applicable to either choice. However, if this is true, that two opposite courses of action can be considered a matter of “common sense,” how can either option truly be a matter of common sense? After all, if something is truly an example of “common sense” shouldn’t it be common knowledge for all people?

It’s a Matter of Common Sense

The scenario illustrated above in the chapter’s introductory story is meant to introduce us to the complexities of the concept of “common sense.” Common sense would seem to be a straightforward notion and yet, as it will be demonstrated in this chapter and throughout the book, it is anything but commonly understood or properly explained.

To Purchase, or Not to Purchase: Which Option Is Common Sense?

Let’s delve further into whether or not a consumer should purchase an extended warranty as a matter of common sense. In the case of purchasing a car, the customer has taken on a large financial cost and just as he or she thinks that all of the bargaining is done—a common-sense thought once the price of the vehicle and the payment plan on the vehicle has been agreed upon—the dealer introduces a potential new cost, the extended (bumper-to-bumper) warranty. And, of course, there is yet another additional cost the dealers like to throw at you, the “undercoating” and/or rustproofing. (Even though my primary residence is in snowy, central New York, nearly everyone immediately rules out purchasing the undercoating and that is what I did.)

I decided to do some research. I looked at a large number of websites about the value of purchasing an extended warranty and, for the most part, the results were inconclusive, with some sites recommending it and other sites saying don’t bother with it. So, I decided to ask for the opinions of others about whether to purchase an extended warranty or not and when you want to hear the opinions of others, you turn to social media, and in this case, to Facebook. (If you are on Facebook, or any form of social media, you know people are always willing to give their opinions on a wide variety of topics.) Immediately following my post on Facebook, my friends responded with dozens of comments. Here is a sample of the reasons provided to purchase the extended warranty. Nearly everyone who said purchasing the extended warranty was just good common sense stated that “It gives you peace of mind knowing that your car has bumper-to-bumper coverage.” Another friend wrote, “I calculated the cost of what it covers and what it would cost me out of pocket if I ever needed to get work done and that led me to purchase the warranty.” Quite a few people reported that something happened to their electronics and, because they had the extended warranty, they saved thousands of dollars (and the dealer provided a free rental car while the car was being repaired). All the electronics in a car today make getting the extended warranty a viable option compared to in the past when cars were far simpler in design, and easier to repair. A number of people discussed how they did have a car problem and that the warranty did save them thousands of dollars. One of my friends wrote that dealers have a great deal of wiggle room and that they can reduce the cost of the warranty and therefore suggested that I negotiate for a better price and, if the counter-price seemed more reasonable, to take it.

Other Facebook friends posted that it is common sense not to purchase the extended warranty because they were told by family members and friends their entire lives that it was a “rip-off.” In other cases, some reported that they had purchased an extended warranty in the past and came to their own conclusion that it was a rip-off. Another friend provided a link to Consumer Reports (2014), which advised against purchasing the extended warranty, saying, “the dealer will probably try hard to sell you one, telling you horror stories about the thousands of dollars it can cost to replace an engine or transmission. But the odds are you’ll never need the coverage, and even if you do, the money you’ll save in repairs won’t come close to what you paid for the added warranty.” Consumer Reports also indicated that the median price paid for the coverage was just over $1,200, which is a much lower figure than what the dealer wanted to charge me. The average cost of a new vehicle ($34,000) was also thousands of dollars higher than what I was paying. Thus, I was getting “ripped off” by the dealer’s offer price. Some people said that they had a good personal mechanic or that they were capable of doing mechanical work. (While this may be true, some mechanics cannot do the electronic repairs; and, what if you don’t have access to your own reliable mechanic?) Yet another friend posted that she had purchased the extended, bumper-to-bumper warranty only to find out that her particular car problem was not covered under the warranty. Thus, a bumper-to-bumper warranty doesn’t necessarily mean that the car is covered for all potential problems. Quite a few people said that any reputable car manufacturer should be able to make a new car that is reliable enough not to need costly repairs for the first 80,000–100,000 miles.

Another thing to consider is the type of luck you generally have. If you tend to have good luck with purchases you may opt not to buy the warranty; conversely, if you are unlucky with purchases you may want to purchase it. Many people are like me; if I purchase the extended warranty I will never benefit from it but if I do not purchase it, I will end up spending thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

So, what did I end up doing? I used a slightly different approach from the suggestions described above. Recognizing that the car comes with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, I decided to employ my own interpretation of common sense by waiting until the three-year period (nearly) expires and ascertain then—based on the overall performance of this particular car—whether or not to purchase an extended warranty.

To purchase, or not to purchase, is a relevant topic in many other spheres of life too. For example, is it better to purchase a home and build equity as common sense might seem to imply? Or, does common sense dictate that is it better to rent, bank all the money you save from lower monthly payments and not having to pay property taxes and pay for potentially costly repairs (e.g., window replacement, a new roof, new furnace, a broken water heater or a termite infestation)? One thing that becomes abundantly clear is that the advice people have to offer on whether or not you should purchase an extended warranty is similar to countless other scenarios in life. That is to say, someone’s perspective on a particular situation depends on the knowledge they have attained through personal experience, observation, and what others have told them. As we shall see in Chapter 2, these are the exact elements that constitute the fundamentals of the definition of “common sense.”

Is the Earth Flat or Round: What Does Common Sense Tell Us?

In 2017, I was watching the TV show “The Voyager with Josh Garcia” and, in this particular episode, Josh was in Singapore and tells the viewing audience that Singapore is “an intersection for people and cultures from all corners of the globe.” Presumably, those of us watching the show will concentrate on his idea that people from all over the world come to Singapore with their diverse cultural backgrounds in hand; and, as a sociologist, I can certainly appreciate such a description. However, as a sociologist writing about common sense it struck me as odd that Josh (and other people who do this) used the common expression of “all corners of the globe.” You should ask yourself, from a common-sense perspective, what is wrong with saying, “all corners of the globe”? If you employ enlightened, rational thought, or common sense, you realize that the globe does not, of course, have corners! The globe, like the world itself, is round; it is not a square or rectangle with corners.

Thinking about the world with corners, or odder yet, thinking of the world as flat, clearly violates common-sense thinking. After all, if the world were flat, wouldn’t we have found the “end edges” by now? To be flat and not have found the edges would imply the earth has an infinite land mass that no one has yet been able to navigate. Satellite photos and photos taken from the moon and other planets (via space probes) also clearly reveal that the earth is round (like a big blue marble). And yet, there are still a few people in the world who think the world is flat. How can anyone possibly think this with all the empirical evidence that proves that the world is round? Consider, however, the existence of “The Flat Earth Society”—an organization that promotes and initiates discussion on its belief that the earth is flat. Flat Earthers believe that they are victims of oppression of thought from the Globularist majority (Flat Earth Society 2016). Failing to acknowledge that the earth is indeed round would certainly seem to be a violation of common sense (see Chapter 6 for a full discussion on violations of common sense). We can conclude this discussion with a variation of an old adage: The only thing Flat Earthers have to fear, is sphere itself!

Staring at the Sun: Common Sense Tells Us Not to Do It (Even if There Is a Rare Eclipse)

Presumably, everyone has been warned, since they were very young, about the dangers of staring at the sun. There are many good reasons why we should not stare at the sun, including the realization that the ultraviolet B rays (UVB) from the sun can give you photokeratitis; which is a burn of the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye). (Note: According to MedicineNet.com, 2017, the sun is just one possible source of photokeratitis, other sources include snowblindness, suntanning beds, a welder’s arc, photographic flood lamps, lightning, electric sparks, and halogen desk lamps.) The rays can also cause blisters, inflammation, and cancer in your eyes. It is unsafe to look at the sun even through sunglasses and camera filters and especially dangerous through telescopes (if it does not have a solar filter) or binoculars.

While there are moments when we might like to look at the sun, most of us manage to avoid doing so, at least beyond a few seconds at any given time. There are times, however, when we are tempted to look at the sun and perhaps the most tempting time is during a solar eclipse. As NASA (1999) states:

A total solar eclipse is probably the most spectacular astronomical event that most people will experience in their lives. There is a great deal of interest in watching eclipses, and thousands of astronomers (both amateur and professional) travel around the world to observe and photograph them. A solar eclipse offers students a unique opportunity to see a natural phenomenon that illustrates the basic principles of mathematics and science that are taught through elementary and secondary school.

On August 21, 2017, Americans were treated to a rare solar eclipse event which prompted NASA to issue caution and warnings about viewing the event. (Note: A discussion of the August 2017 solar eclipse is discussed in Chapter 2.) NASA cautioned people who planned on watching the eclipse to use approved eclipse glasses (they contain the necessary filters to block the harmful ultraviolet light of the sun). NASA warned that a number of eclipse glasses being sold at stores were not up to industry code and advised that individuals make sure the manufacturer’s name, address, and designated certification ISO 12312–2 code were visible so that consumers could verify the safety of the glasses. NASA also warned that the only time it was safe to look right at the eclipse is when it reaches totality, and the sun passes behind the moon and turns day into night (Griffin 2017). In NASA’s July 21, 2017 official statement, the agency states:

It’s common sense not to stare directly at the Sun with your naked eyes or risk damaging your vision, and that advice holds true for a partially eclipsed Sun. But, only with special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can safely look directly at the Sun.

(NASA 2017b)

So there you have it, straight from a group of rocket scientists, staring at the sun violates common sense. And yet, we know that some people will look to the sky to view the eclipse process.

Although this next story does not involve people violating common sense by looking at the sun, it is related to the August 2017 solar eclipse. Jean Nelson-Dean, public information officer for Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, the first state in the path of the eclipse, was concerned that novice visitors to the nation’s public lands for the once-in-a-lifetime event may not possess enough camping common sense. In July 2017, Nelson-Dean warned that the eclipse could not be happening at a worse time: “It’s the peak of fire season. Our emergency responders are going to be spread thin. And the forest is going to be filled with a lot of people who don’t camp very often and might have little experience with the outdoors” (Urness 2017). Nelson-Dean worried that if a wildfire broke out while the roads were clogged with cars and campgrounds filled with people this could complicate fire-fighting and rescue efforts. Another fear among park officials was the potentiality of inexperienced visitors who might want to hike trails but not utilize common-sense hiking skills. The description of “flip-flop-wearing hikers attempting to climb dangerous mountains” was used to underscore the possibility of hikers violating common sense in the forests as they attempt to navigate a path to a great solar eclipse viewing site (Urness 2017). As it turned out, traffic jams and increased hotel rates and camping site rates were the biggest reported problems that arose during the eclipse period and people did not die from staring into the sun and flip-flop-wearing hikers did not have to be rescued by park rangers (at least there were no such news stories of such a problem that reached the public). It seems that common sense during the eclipse, at least for the most part, did hold sway.

The Study of Common Sense: A Focus on the Everyday Interactions of Individuals

When trying to make a decision in a given situation individuals often attempt to use a common-sense approach. And why not?! After all, that would seem to be a better course of action than violating common sense. But how do we really know when we are employing common sense? As demonstrated above, with the example of whether or not to purchase an extended warranty on a new car, it is not always obviously clear, even if we do utilize a common-sense approach. Having “peace of mind” and potentially saving thousands of dollars does sound like common sense. Then again, the idea that an auto dealership is trying to “rip you off” is considered a matter of common sense by others. Such polar opposites lead us to a number of questions, including: “Which course of action is the true example of utilizing common sense?” and “How is that people can have complete opposite opinions about a specific situation as to what option is in fact a matter of common sense?” These are just two questions of importance in the study of common sense.

In the following chapters a number of other questions about the perception of common sense will be addressed, including: “Why do notions of common sense vary from one subculture to the next?” and “Why do they vary from one culture to the next?” We will also address, “Why is that ideas of common sense may vary based on one’s age, intelligence, geographic location, life circumstances, family background, wealth, and health?” Questions such as these represent the tip of the iceberg of the complexities involved in the domain of common sense and begin to shed light on why we need a thorough examination of the complexities and intricacies involved in this subject matter.

Yes, there a few other books about common sense but they tend to pertain to specific subject matters such as the origin and design of government; politics; economics; assessing student learning; financial planning and investing; and, a variety of specific topics such as relationships. No other book examines the subject matter of common sense as put forth here. This book discusses common sense as a paradigm of thought and, as such, compares it to the other major categories of thought—tradition, faith, and enlightened, rational thought; it explains...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of boxes
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• Acknowledgments
• 1. An Introduction to the Notion of Common Sense
• 2. Common Sense as a Paradigm of Thought
• 3. Explaining Common Sense: From the Ancient Greeks to the Early Twentieth Century
• 4. Explaining Common Sense: From the Early Twentieth Century to the Postmodern Era
• 5. Learning About and Adhering to Common Sense
• 6. Violating Common Sense: Uncommon Sense
• 7. Can Common Sense Rise as the Prevailing Paradigm of Thought?
• Appendix A “Common, Common Sense”
• Appendix B “Tim-isms”
• Appendix C “Common, Uncommon Sense”
• Bibliography
• Index