Tuesday, February 25, 2014

"Common sense is not so common"

         "Common sense is not so common."  Human behavior cannot be solely understood by intuition and common sense.  They are just mere factors in the overall study of how one thinks, feels and acts.  Intuition and common sense are two abilities that intertwine; With intuit comes common sense, and with common sense comes intuition.  They are instinctual feelings that override the need for conscious reasoning -- so one might think.  A scientific method that studies human behavior digs beneath one's unconscious thoughts and gives one solid reasoning as to the whys and hows of the behavioral and mental processes of humans.  I believe that all three play a role in the full understanding of human behavior; however, that a scientific approach would have a larger impact on the results.  I take it as the one's intuition comes into play when making an abrupt decision; one that requires no time to think.  Such examples would include: dodging a speeding car, protecting your loved ones and shielding your face when an object in being thrown towards you.  I think that intuition is when your emotions take over your mind.
         Common sense is a phrase that has been thrown at everybody at least a few times in their life.  Individuals fail to realize that, what one believes is common knowledge may not actually be common to the next person. Ones "common knowledge" is a compilation of what they've repeatedly experienced in their lives; experiences that have become "normal" to them.  Not knowingly, people assume that the world is a controlled environment; that everybody has the same standard of living, the same encounters, the same thoughts etc., but what people don't consider is, that things that come naturally to them has all to do with their surroundings and the way that they live each day.  A large, low income family that needs everybody in the household to contribute even a little but (Babysitting, chores, working..) may think it is common knowledge to know how to scrub a toilet, do laundry and change a diaper.  A busy, high income family with one child and a nanny may know the ins and outs of a business, but won't have a clue about the "common knowledge" that is held with the opposing family.
          A Scientific method approach to human behavior encompasses people's actions, emotions, perceptions and thought.  Non-biased studies are done to prove the findings and the reasonings behind them.  When emotions are overlooked and one can step outside of the situation to look in as a bystander, one can realize that their instinctual feelings will be challenged.  A scientific approach questions intuit and common sense.  For example, in studies such as "Doll Test" and "Shopping While Black" they test out hypotheses on different groups of people to see if their reactions and perceptions are the same,  In "Doll Test", children of different ethnicities were all asked to choose the good doll, bad doll, pretty doll and ugly doll.  Most children chose the white doll as the good, pretty doll and the dark-skinned doll as ugly and bad.  Each child has a different perception of the doll.  It might be because of what they were taught at home, what they see in the public eye or how they view themselves.  It seemed as if the children that were neither black, nor while had a more difficult time attempting to label the dolls, as they were caught in-between, just as in reality.
          Every individual has a different emotional make-up due to nature and nurture.  It would be inaccurate to say that one could fully understand human behavior sufficiently based solely on intuition and common sense.

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