oregonfrank wrote:
How can it be both common and rare?
My observation suggests that “common sense” occurs when the person calling it such hears something with which he/she agrees.
The word 'Common' has a number of meanings. In this particular case, I would think it means 'available to all'. These are the things you should have learned from your parents as a child. 'Don't touch the stove, it may be hot' comes to mind. Other things come from the Church, 'Thou shalt not lie'; the school, '2 + 2 = 4'; and other sources throughout your formative years.
Common sense tells me not to get drunk and go for a drive. It tells me not to walk into a store, fill a cart then walk out without paying for it. It tells me not to call a police officer a Pig, or to take a walk in traffic. It tells me math is not an opinion and the government will not respect creative tax returns.
Yet I see a lot instances out there of this kind of sense being totally ignored, and worse yet, being ignored with little or no consequences to the offender. Drunks getting into a wreck, then driving off. If they do get caught later, or turn themselves in, the penalties are much lower for hit and run than DUI.
Most stores tell their employees not to confront thieves because they don't want the liability should such a confrontation go badly. I recall and instance where a Home Depot employee was fired for assisting a mother of a kidnapped child by following the kidnapper until the police arrived.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/home-depot-employee-says-he-was-fired-after-trying-stop-n780531Common sense, along with its siblings, Common Courtesy and Common Decency seem to be on life support in these times.
They are common because they are still there, ready to be used by one and all.
They are rare, because they are so seldom used.