It’s just common sense

Erick Kalenga
Published: July 26, 2008

A combination of knowledge and common sense will result in wisdom.

A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about common sense and the lack of it in this generation. It is very apparent there are a number of young people who struggle with the decision-making process due to the fact that they lack basic common sense.

Growing up in Africa, our parents, like all other African parents, worked very hard in order to instill this. We did not always follow or choose to exercise common sense, though.

Mostly, the issues that our young people face today are based on the lack of utilizing common sense, described in the dictionary as, “A form of evidence that is based on conventional wisdom, sound practical judgment.”

It is sometimes easy to recognize common sense, but that does not make it easy to exercise or define. Many times we take it for granted, and as a result of that, our society is suffering. It is very important to exercise common sense on a daily basis, and this will certainly make a positive influence in your everyday life.

Let’s face it: Religious or non-religious, not using common sense can be very catastrophic. I’m sure we can all remember a time when our refusal to do so resulted in rather catastrophic consequences. Life can be very challenging without it — like driving a vehicle on the road and refusing to obey the traffic light and road signs.

I believe common sense starts at home. As parents, we have a responsibility to help shape our children’s characters.

Upon birth, children start picking up elements of vocabulary. Whatever you say, they will repeat it. Common sense has to be taught at an early age, as kids do not automatically possess the ability to exercise sound practical judgment.

Every time I look at my son, who turns 2 years old at the end of August, it’s very apparent that he has no common sense; he will do whatever his imagination tells him to do.

One day I was sitting in the living room when I saw him running up and down the hallway. I told him not to run in the kitchen because the floor was wet. After a few attempts, he finally decided to go ahead and do it. A few seconds later, he was on the floor.

Now, every time we say the kitchen floor is wet, he will stand at the edge of the carpet and won’t put his feet on the wet floor. I pray that my son will learn to listen and obey.

As parents, legal guardians, grandparents and family members, we must instill common sense in our kids. My grandparents from both sides helped us a great deal in this area.

Every time we did something stupid or crazy, my maternal grandmother would always say, “You have no mind.” What she really mean by that was, “If you really have common sense and you also have knowledge, you have enough wisdom to do what is right.”

It is not too late to start exercising common sense.

Pay attention to the obvious.

This is not as easy as it sounds. We all have vivid imaginations, and we tend to get lost in our fantasies.

When fantasy replaces common sense, life becomes farcical and even tragic. Life is a series of ordinary events that follow the laws of logic and probability. These ordinary events are indifferent to our fantasies and require the careful, accurate navigation of common sense.

Erick Kalenga is an independent columnist who appears Sundays in the Star-Exponent. He lives in Madison County.
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