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…