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Columnists:
Sangeetha
Sridhar,
Dr.Rajan Philips,
Hasan Kamoonpuri,
Prof.C.F.Joseph
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Reflections-By
Dr Rajan Philips
Common Sense – An Uncommon Trait?
( This
motivational article was published in Oman Observer ,
one of the leading Newspapers in Oman. The article is
reproduced with the permission of the author )
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Dr. Rajan Philips:
Centuries ago, French writer and thinker Voltaire said:
‘Common
sense is not so common.’
What is common sense then? The dictionary
definition of common sense as ‘sound and prudent judgment
based on a simple perception of the situation or facts’ does give us
some idea of this quality. It is the application of good sense and sound
judgment in practical matters. Is it allied to or different from
intelligence, is a pertinent question.
Intelligence is raw potential comparable to an ore waiting to be
mined.
It is determined thorough special tests and quantified as IQ (Intelligence
Quotient) but we do not yet have any such scale to describe the level of
common sense.
The measure of the IQ is used for entry to special educational
programmes, courses and professions. We have the high IQ society MENSA for those
with exceptional IQs. Such ‘brilliant’ minds may do very well in academic
spheres. But if they lack common sense they would be in for rude shocks and
surprises in everyday life.
It would be wonderful to have the right blend of intelligence and
common sense but unfortunately, they don't necessarily go hand in hand. It is a
common gripe of parents that their kids are quite intelligent but often lack
even a modicum of common sense.
Some great minds, with very high IQ, obviously, were at times
known to exhibit total lack of common sense. The following amusing anecdote from
the life of Isaac Newton, a Titan among physicists and mathematicians, is an
interesting illustration.
Newton had a pet cat that wanted to go in and out of the room in
which he was working on his light experiments. Opening and shutting the door
constantly as a time consuming distraction for the scientist. So he solved the
problem by making a ‘cat door’ by cutting a hole in the door and covering
it with a cloth. But when the cat was joined by a kitten, Newton asked his
carpenter to cut a smaller hole for it. Only when the bemused carpenter pointed
out that the original hole would do for the cat and the kitten, did Newton
realize the import of his ludicrous request and must have had a hearty laugh!
The Common
Sense Book
of Baby and Child
Care written
by Dr. Benjamin Spock and first published in July 1946 is one of the biggest
best-sellers of all time. By 1998, it had sold more than 50 million copies, and
translated into 39 languages. Obviously, common sense is a rare virtue.
Does scientific knowledge run contrary to common sense? Yes and
no. Centuries ago, common sense said the world was flat; the sun and the moon
were the same size; and the Earth was the centre of the universe; science
disproved all these notions. Soon these scientific findings reshaped the common
sense view of the following age. In the absence of such progressive developments
the common sense view of life would have been limited. In fact, in early
history, human inability to comprehend the complex and awesome forces of nature
gave birth to numerous superstitions (common sense then!) that continued down
the ages.
Research on common sense capability is an integral part of study
on artificial intelligence. A day may come when we talk in terms of CSQ
(Common Sense Quotient). But till then, we would rely on our common sense
to gauge if we have adequate supply of this precious attribute!
A few quotes:
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