The Vision Principle of Common Sense “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.”  C.E. Stowe

Common sense is sound logic, practical sense, good reasoning that is searching for simple, but very effective and useful ways to accomplish things.  Some things are just obvious:  we all know that if you walk out in the rain without an umbrella, you are likely to get wet.  This is common sense – information that we all commonly share.  It is the way we were taught to do things... simply, “using our head.”  Practicing common sense is like building muscle – the more we use it, the stronger our minds become.

Years ago, we learned to add, subtract and multiply on paper.  Now, we have calculators and computers to be more efficient. We can add large columns of numbers without a calculator or computer but it takes longer and we have a greater possibility of making a mistake.  So, common sense tells us using the calculator or computer is the best way to add that large column of numbers.  Common sense is the most efficient and simplest way to make decisions and solve problems.

People can be highly educated and still not practice using common sense.  Education is of great value but if we don’t combine it with common sense, life can become a lot more complicated than necessary.  Often doing something simple like asking yourself “what is the right thing to do?” is the best solution.
We often hear people say that common sense is not that common any longer.  They will sometimes ignore common sense when they are looking for the easy way, to escape responsibility or to get more for themselves.  Common sense tells us that if we run into another person’s car, we should stop and do the right thing.  If we don’t use common sense, we may just drive away.   It is not because we do not know any better – it is because we do not want to take responsibility for our actions.  If we do not use common sense, we will end up paying big consequences. Sometimes we must run into bad experiences in order to learn the truth about common sense.  When we practice common sense, we save ourselves a lot of problems and stress.

Using common sense will benefit you in many ways:

1. You will be better prepared to adapt to change in the way you do things.
2. You will be trusted and valued as a practical person and a good decision maker.
3. You will experience positive outcomes from “seeing things as they are and doing things as they ought to be done.”
4. You will be grounded in reality and able to detect when someone is not real or their motives are selfish.

• You will embrace new methods when you see a more efficient or simpler way.
• You will take note of changes in your environment and even the world so that you can make adjustments to your thinking, decision making and actions.
• You will have a positive influence over those around you. There is a deep truth in the fact that we learn more by imitating than by a formal teaching. In a way, whatever other people do, whether it is right or wrong, soon becomes an accepted practice by many.
• You will be level headed, efficient and keep contact with reality. You will be transparent with your thoughts and actions because you have nothing to hide.

1. Keep an open mind. Always be open to changes or adjustments. This does not mean all change is good, but you can discover better ways if you are open to seeing them. A mind once expanded by common sense will never go back to its original thinking. We were born with our eyes closed and our mouths open. It takes a lifetime to reverse it.
2. Think twice before you act. This gives your common sense an opportunity to speak.
3. Stay in touch with reality. Discuss your thoughts and ideas with others whose common sense you respect to make sure you are keeping things in perspective. This will bring balance to your thinking.
4. Do what you know is right. “Do the right things rather than the things that are acceptable.” (Peter Drucker)
5. Learn to think in a very practical way. Seek out the most efficient way to accomplish tasks.

1. What is the difference between common sense and knowledge?
2. Share a situation in which you have used common sense.
3. Give an example of a situation where someone did not use common sense?
4. How can you develop your common sense?

Evaluate yourself from 1 to 10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Why did you give yourself this rating?
What benefits will you obtain by raising your rating?
What specific action can you put into practice to test the benefits of this principle?