Do You Have Common Sense?

~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

In my post about wisdom, a question came up: “How do you tell if you have common sense?”

Here is the information I was able to find (from random sources on the Internet)

Characteristics of Common Sense

•It is universally accepted: It is considered known to almost everyone in a society.

•It is practical, not academic: It’s about solving everyday problems, not theoretical knowledge.

•It implies safety and courtesy: Many common-sense rules are designed to prevent harm or manage social interactions.

Now that I know what “common sense” is, I looked for examples of it.

•Wearing a Mask if you’re a Bad Guy committing a crime 
•Dressing Up for a Job Interview
•Using Oven Mitts
•Not Entering an Elevator Until Others Have Exited
•Check Both Ways Before Crossing the Road
•Not Checking Your Phone During a Job Interview   
•Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You   
•Not Congregating in a Doorway 
•Wearing Sunblock to the Beach 
•Don’t Hammer your Thumb
•Taking an Umbrella
•Look Where You Are Walking

Although common sense is a skill that is supposed to be common, apparently, it is not.
There are many examples of people acting in ways that are,
actually, the opposite of common sense.
There is a term for that, but it escapes me at the moment.

If your Mom was anything like mine, you would repeatedly hear these ones:
Eat over your plate
Take off your school clothes and put on your play clothes
Don’t run in the house
Go outside and play
Take smaller bites
Chew with your mouth closed

Please share family common sense lessons in the comments!

TTFN

Wisdom

~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

Wisdom is acquired in many ways.

First, there’s “book learning.” This is where school comes in. Facts, figures, research, and more recently, Google. The fact that they ban the most important book is lost on them.

Then, there is “Street Smarts.” Forget the images of gangs and the ghetto. The corporate world has its own level of street smarts that can be learned from mentors, management, and peers. No switchblades or baseball bats are involved in meetings, yet they can be stressful, emotions run high, and you often feel as if you’ve been beaten up when they are over.

Everyone develops both book learning and street smarts along the way. The percentages differ for each person, and this affects the balance and quality of their combined wisdom. Otherwise known as Common Sense. Don’t ask me why they call it common when it is not terribly common at all.

It surprised me to discover that many adults lack common sense.
I discovered an interesting fact – the more book smart a person is, the lower their common sense. I worked at a National Laboratory, so I worked with administrative and technical staff. I worked for some of the top scientists and physicists in the world. Guess who could not figure out how to make a pot of coffee? Or clean the microwave spills caused by their miscalculation of the cook time needed?

I am grateful that both my parents had it and (although unknown to them), passed it on to me. If my Dad said it once, he said it a million times, “Use your head!” I can still hear the way he said it. He was so flabbergasted by any stupidity his child expressed. As a parent, I found out exactly how that felt; however, the phrase, “Use your brain!” came out of my mouth. A lot.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but I no longer needed to say, “Use your brain!” My daughter got it together faster than I did. I’m sure my Dad had to say his phrase longer than I had to say mine. I attribute this to my daughter moving out of the house and entering the “real world” sooner than I did. Of course, the term “real world” is open to various interpretations. I thought it was when I got married and had a baby. My ex told me that I was going to be shocked to be out in the real world after our divorce. It turned out that the world he ran was much tougher than the real one.

How can you tell if you have common sense? A great question! To answer it, I have to do some research.

Please stand by…




Translation

~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

Assisting communication between people who do not speak the same language must be rewarding. I never spoke Spanish well enough to translate sentences into English. However, I often translated English for speakers of English from other geographical areas. Let me explain.

I worked at a research lab in California. Two dozen scientists from a lab in Tennessee were hired to assist with experiments at the lab in California. Because Californians are convinced they don’t have an accent, they are at a loss when they encounter someone who speaks English that they cannot understand. I found their reaction hilarious.

I grew up in a bilingual situation. My Dad’s people were from Kansas. My Mom’s people were from West Virginia. The West Virginia accent is very similar to the Tennessee one. This meant I had a superpower I was unaware of, until now.

Word traveled fast that I could translate Tennessee English into California English on demand. Admin staff would drag a Tennessee person to my desk and make them repeat what they didn’t understand. Most of the time, I caught on right away. People were astounded. Of course, I enjoyed this. As time passed, my services became less and less necessary.

Why am I telling y’all this? I came across a photo that brought it all back to me:

Gotta LOVE it!