Where Every Connection Becomes a Bond
Common sense isn’t actually that common. It’s the ability to perceive a situation accurately, make sound judgments based on basic facts, and act in practical ways that protect your wellbeing and achieve reasonable goals.
But many people seem to be operating without it.
They make decisions that hurt them. They ignore obvious warning signs. They repeat the same mistakes. They operate from impulse instead of logic. They prioritize immediate gratification over long-term wellbeing.
If you’re doing any of these ten things consistently, you’re signaling to the world—and to yourself—that common sense isn’t guiding your choices.
Let’s explore what these look like.
1. You Ignore Clear Warning Signs
When someone repeatedly shows you who they are through their actions—lying, disrespect, broken promises—and you keep giving them chances, you don’t have common sense.
Common sense means paying attention to patterns. If he cheated before, he might cheat again. If she’s chronically dishonest, she’ll probably be dishonest about important things. If they’re rude to service workers, they’ll probably treat you poorly too.
Ignoring obvious red flags in favor of hope is not optimism. It’s denial. And it’s how people end up in destructive situations they could have avoided.
2. You Stay in Situations That Harm You
You know the job is toxic, but you stay. You know the relationship is damaging, but you don’t leave. You know the living situation is unhealthy, but you accept it.
Common sense recognizes when something is hurting you and has the courage to walk away.
Staying in harmful situations hoping they’ll improve, or staying because leaving feels scary, is not loyalty or strength—it’s self-destruction.
3. You Make Major Decisions Without Gathering Information
You buy something expensive without researching it. You commit to a relationship without really knowing the person. You invest money without understanding what you’re investing in.
Common sense involves basic due diligence. Asking questions. Researching. Getting multiple perspectives. Taking time before committing.
When you make major decisions impulsively or without information, you’re essentially throwing darts at a board blindfolded.
4. You Can’t See How Your Actions Affect Others
You say hurtful things and act shocked when people are hurt. You’re inconsistent and wonder why people don’t trust you. You break commitments and are surprised when people stop counting on you.
Common sense includes basic cause-and-effect understanding about human relationships. Your actions have consequences. Other people have feelings. What you do affects them.
When you can’t make these connections, you’re operating without one of the most fundamental aspects of common sense.
5. You Repeat the Same Mistakes Expecting Different Results
You date the same type of toxic person and wonder why your relationships fail. You make the same financial mistakes and end up broke. You engage in the same unhealthy behaviors and expect different outcomes.
Common sense includes learning from mistakes. The first time is a lesson. The second time is a choice. The third time is a pattern.
If you’re not examining what went wrong and making different choices, you’re trapped in a cycle that will never change.
6. You Let Temporary Emotions Make Permanent Decisions
You’re angry, so you burn a bridge you might need. You’re lonely, so you settle for someone who isn’t right for you. You’re frustrated, so you quit something that matters.
Common sense means managing your emotions enough to make choices you won’t regret.
It’s okay to feel angry, lonely, or frustrated. But making permanent decisions based on temporary feelings is a sign of poor judgment.
7. You Trust People Who Have Already Betrayed Your Trust
Someone lies to you and breaks your trust. Then they say sorry—and you immediately trust them again with the same level of sensitivity information.
Common sense includes appropriate skepticism. Trust is earned. Once broken, it must be re-earned slowly through consistent, trustworthy behavior over time.
When you keep trusting people who have already shown you they can’t be trusted, you’re setting yourself up to be hurt again.
8. You Knowingly Violate Your Own Boundaries
You said you wouldn’t tolerate something—then you tolerate it. You said you needed something—then you accept less. You said certain behavior was unacceptable—then you accept it.
Common sense includes respecting your own limits. Your boundaries aren’t suggestions. They’re lines you’ve drawn for your own wellbeing.
When you violate your own boundaries, you teach others that they don’t matter. You also teach yourself that you don’t trust yourself.
9. You Seek Advice But Refuse to Listen to It
You ask people for guidance, and when they give you honest feedback you don’t like, you dismiss it. You vent about your problems, and when people point out obvious solutions, you explain why none of them will work.
Common sense includes being open to perspective. Sometimes people outside the situation can see clearly what you can’t see inside it.
If you’re constantly asking for advice but never implementing it, you’re not seeking wisdom—you’re seeking validation.
10. You Prioritize Short-Term Comfort Over Long-Term Wellbeing
You eat junk food instead of nourishing your body, even though you know it affects your health. You avoid necessary conversations because they’re uncomfortable, even though avoiding them creates bigger problems. You stay up late on your phone even though you know you need sleep.
Common sense includes delayed gratification. You understand that small sacrifices now often lead to better outcomes later.
When you consistently choose immediate pleasure over long-term wellbeing, you’re abandoning one of the most important aspects of practical wisdom.
What All These Have in Common
They all involve ignoring what you actually know to be true.
You know the person is lying. You know the situation is harmful. You know the decision is impulsive. You know you’re repeating a pattern. You know the boundary matters. But you ignore what you know because it’s easier, more comfortable, or more immediately gratifying.
Common sense is the ability to know something and actually act on that knowledge. It’s not just information—it’s the wisdom to apply it.
How to Develop It
Start by noticing your patterns. Where are you making the same mistakes? Where are you ignoring obvious truths?
Listen to people who care about you. Sometimes others can see our blind spots more clearly.
Slow down your decision-making. Before making a major choice, gather information, ask questions, and consider consequences.
Respect your own wisdom. You already know more than you’re acting on. Start acting on what you know.
Accept that common sense often involves uncomfortable choices. Protecting yourself might mean leaving. Respecting boundaries might mean disappointing others. Choosing long-term wellbeing might mean sacrificing short-term comfort.
Common sense isn’t intelligence. It’s not sophistication. It’s simply the ability to see clearly and act accordingly.
Most people have it. Most people just aren’t using it.
