Common sense - what is it and who has it?

[INTJMom]

What is common sense? What function best contributes towards it? Is it a combination of functions? Which type tends to have the most of it, and which tends to have the least?

I am a great admirer of common sense!
I used to think I had common sense... until I met my ISTP husband.
Now that's common sense!

When I say "common sense" I am referring to information you gather from the five senses and just "know" about.

The 2 ISTPs in my life, and the 2 ISTJs in my life all think that they have more common sense than I do.
And when we compare plans and strategies, they are right.
Usually, my ideas are not realistic enough.



I agree with the person who said INFPs have the least amount of common sense.
That has been my experience as well.


I believe that "common sense" comes from "Sensing" in general, and that Se is the highest form of "common sense". Perhaps Si is the second highest form of "common sense".

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I see common sense very similarly to JivinJeffJones. It's practical knowledge that one needs for survival. Common sense also depends on the context. Common sense around a construction site is not the same as common sense in a chemistry lab or common sense in a corporate office. Depending on the context I'd say that common sense can come from Te, Fe or even Se. Also a person with Ne can have insight into the nature of common sense even if they choose not to display it.

Another aspect of common sense is that the reasons behind doing something are often obvious, and therefore an elaborate explanation is not needed. You can give an elaborate explanation as to why a person shouldn't touch a hot stove, but it isn't needed. The reasons behind not touching a hot stove are obvious.

Individuals who have Si as their primary or auxiliary function often confuse tradition for common sense, but I don't believe they are the same thing. All introverted functions (including Si) are highly individualized compared to their extraverted counterparts. A person relying on Si might think that tradition equals common sense, because they equate the two, but in reality that is simply their viewpoint. An idea which seems to be "common sense" may in fact require more elaborate explanation, because it is more complex than what it seems at a first glance.

probably being an INxx contributes. INxx's tend to be more autonomous-minded, I think, from experience.

Ti = sees whether the behavior meshes with reality
Ne = sees all the other ways something COULD be done

There won't be a knee-jerk rejection that stems from just TiNe.... there will just be a "That doesn't make any sense!"

Those with Ni as a lead are more prone to have the "Don't tell me how to look at this situation!" kneejerk attitude. I think, anyway.

It's funny that you explain ENTP behavior as something caused by being INxx. ENTP's are not INxx's. That's just common sense.

Actually I'd describe this as something similar though. I think the closer a person is to INTP the more autonomous they are. Observation clearly shows that INTP is the most autonomous type while their opposite ESFJ is the least autonomous type. Also when you examine each of the "letters" individually you see that I's are more autonomous than E's. N's are more autonomous than S's, T's are more autonomous than F's, and P's are more autonomous than J's. It's not being INxx specifically that makes one autonomous, but specifically being similar to an INTP. INTJ, ENTP, ISTP, and INFP are all fairly autonomous though. (If you're reading this BlueWing this is not meant to be a compliment to INTP's, lol.)

 

[Totenkindly]

It's funny that you explain ENTP behavior as something caused by being INxx. ENTP's are not INxx's. That's just common sense.

I'm just whistling in the dark. Feel free to correct.

Flip Ti+Ne around and you get an Ne+Ti... who theoretically is thinking, "Look at all the possibilities, many of them seeming to mesh -- why should I be stuck doing something this old way, when it might not even be the best way?"

I don't feel like committing to anything regarding your second paragraph, I am just planning to watch from my safety point and see what animals are attracted to the bait!

 

[white]

I'm just whistling in the dark. Feel free to correct.

Flip Ti+Ne around and you get an Ne+Ti... who theoretically is thinking, "Look at all the possibilities, many of them seeming to mesh -- why should I be stuck doing something this old way, when it might not even be the best way?"

I don't feel like committing to anything regarding your second paragraph, I am just planning to watch from my safety point and see what animals are attracted to the bait!

*passes to Jen* we can share.

 

[proteanmix]

Good point about common sense being practical rather than traditional. What is traditional is often the most practical and efficient thing to do. Tradition is a dirty word around here and most don't seem to recognize the merit, structure, shortcuts it provides. Try to think of as many situations when what is traditional is solves the problem at hand.

I was reading this article in a magazine recently about inventions that got it right the first time and have needed very little improvement over time. It makes me wonder how often do we confront situations that need a completely novel and new way of dealing with it. It's like those machines that have all those gears and pulleys just to crack an egg. How often is that necessary? If someone constantly does that to solve a problem then that's not very practical and I'd think that person lacked common sense.

 

[Athenian200]

It's funny that you explain ENTP behavior as something caused by being INxx. ENTP's are not INxx's. That's just common sense.

Actually I'd describe this as something similar though. I think the closer a person is to INTP the more autonomous they are. Observation clearly shows that INTP is the most autonomous type while their opposite ESFJ is the least autonomous type. Also when you examine each of the "letters" individually you see that I's are more autonomous than E's. N's are more autonomous than S's, T's are more autonomous than F's, and P's are more autonomous than J's. It's not being INxx specifically that makes one autonomous, but specifically being similar to an INTP. INTJ, ENTP, ISTP, and INFP are all fairly autonomous though. (If you're reading this BlueWing this is not meant to be a compliment to INTP's, lol.)

I've never seen P's as autonomous, but as dependent. I believe the most independent type is INTJ, not INTP. INTP's don't have a lot of will power, and often give in or shy away from whatever their problem is. To me, though, ENTP's seem somewhat more autonomous than INTP's. (I think the tertiary Si is their weakness.)

 

[JivinJeffJones]

I believe that "common sense" comes from "Sensing" in general, and that Se is the highest form of "common sense". Perhaps Si is the second highest form of "common sense".

Naughty. You don't slip things like that in on an edit. :1377:


Yeah, I've been trying to isolate which functions best promote common sense. My initial thought was Se. Then I thought about Te. Then I wondered about Ne and at that point I gave up. Older INTJs tend to have a brand of common sense which ignores convention and focuses on practicality. They seem to be able to eliminate the extraneous in pursuit of a goal. ISTPs, I think, tend to focus on how things should be done and don't make stupid mistakes in getting them done. They are also adaptable which, imo, gives them an edge over ISTJs who can get more caught up in what is conventional over what is practical.

 

[JivinJeffJones]

And FWIW I suspect that INTPs in general have almost as little common sense as INFPs.

 

[INTJMom]

Naughty. You don't slip things like that in on an edit. :1377:

tee-hee
Sorry. I didn't think anyone was around, and I didn't think I should write a separate post. Is this where some common sense would have come in handy? If I had more common sense, I would have started a new post.

Yeah, I've been trying to isolate which functions best promote common sense.

I noticed.

My initial thought was Se. Then I thought about Te. Then I wondered about Ne and at that point I gave up. Older INTJs tend to have a brand of common sense which ignores convention and focuses on practicality. They seem to be able to eliminate the extraneous in pursuit of a goal. ISTPs, I think, tend to focus on how things should be done and don't make stupid mistakes in getting them done. They are also adaptable which, imo, gives them an edge over ISTJs who can get more caught up in what is conventional over what is practical.

I agree.

 

[INTJMom]

And FWIW I suspect that INTPs in general have almost as little common sense as INFPs.

You ain't just whistlin' Dixie!

 

[proteanmix]

Actually I'd describe this as something similar though. I think the closer a person is to INTP the more autonomous they are. Observation clearly shows that INTP is the most autonomous type while their opposite ESFJ is the least autonomous type. Also when you examine each of the "letters" individually you see that I's are more autonomous than E's. N's are more autonomous than S's, T's are more autonomous than F's, and P's are more autonomous than J's. It's not being INxx specifically that makes one autonomous, but specifically being similar to an INTP. INTJ, ENTP, ISTP, and INFP are all fairly autonomous though. (If you're reading this BlueWing this is not meant to be a compliment to INTP's, lol.)

Can you explain how you define autonomy? Do you mean a desire to be self-governing/independent/self-reliant vs. lack of that desire?

I consider myself autonomous in the sense that I'm not a marionette, but I desire/choose to commune and connect with others. I guess by connecting with others you sometimes have to accede to their wishes which lessens autonomy. Does that desire/need make someone unautonomous? I'm confused where autonomy ends and where selfishness begins. I think most people desire autonomy in that they don't want to be controlled by other people and I don't know if this is autonomy or not.

 

[Randomnity]

It's either Si or Te. Not sure which.

Basically, it's what "everybody knows." Or rather, what most people believe. It's the assumption that whatever most people seem to believe must be correct. I tend to doubt this, so I don't have it. I prefer to believe in what I actually understand.

I usually don't value it, and call it "commoner's sense."

(Probably because of Ni and Fe.)

I don't think that that's common sense at all. That's tradition and convention, which are often but not always practical. I find that what someone thinks of as common sense tends to be pretty subjective...and usually both sides think that they are the most reasonable. The way I see common sense is the ability to see the most effective way of going about daily things, which is definitely not tied to tradition, unless tradition happens to have stumbled across the most efficient way already.

I'm not sure how you could not value common sense--someone with no common sense would literally not be able to achieve anything in life.

I think ISTPs have what looks like common sense -- because they are looking at the world in a logical way. It's a "logical common sense" vs a "conventional common sense," if that makes any sense.

But it can lead to doing dumb things, like fixing a hole in your jeans with duct tape and wearing them to class... because it works and no one should care, but the teacher does ("Doh!" would say the ISxJ... and the ISTP would just become irate at how the world is so illogical).

That's actually what I see as being common sense, in general--the most logically effective way to do things, pretty much. And I do similar things to that alll the time (I fixed my glasses with twisted wire the other day), but nobody bothers me about it. It would be a lack of common sense to not realize that some people would look down on that, though.

I like to think I have good common sense, but realistically I know I am too young to be very wise. Most of my lackings in common sense have to do with interpersonal relationships, which I still struggle with.

EDIT: Oh and I think Fe's would have good common sense when it comes to how to deal with people, Te's when it comes to how to run a business, Ti's when it comes to how to solve a theoretical problem on paper, etc. Overall I'm sure there's "more-sensible" and "less-sensible" types, but I don't think it's really necessary to go into that.

 

[Athenian200]

I don't think that that's common sense at all. That's tradition and convention, which are often but not always practical. I find that what someone thinks of as common sense tends to be pretty subjective...and usually both sides think that they are the most reasonable. The way I see common sense is the ability to see the most effective way of going about daily things, which is definitely not tied to tradition, unless tradition happens to have stumbled across the most efficient way already.

I'm not sure how you could not value common sense--someone with no common sense would literally not be able to achieve anything in life.

Well, when I say that I don't accept common sense, I meant that I won't accept it as an excuse. If I don't understand or agree with something, and someone tells me I should because it's "common sense," and they can't explain it any better than that, I simply refuse to accept it.

If you can explain why one way is more effective than another, then I call that understanding it. I've always believed common sense to be accepting something without understanding it.

 

[Randomnity]

Well, when I say that I don't accept common sense, I meant that I won't accept it as an excuse. If I don't understand or agree with something, and someone tells me I should because it's "common sense," and they can't explain it any better than that, I simply refuse to accept it.

If you can explain why one way is more effective than another, then I call that understanding it. I've always believed common sense to be accepting something without understanding it.

Ah ok, in that case, totally agree.

I think if something is actually common sense it should be immediately obvious without even an explanation, but for sure it should be explainable.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I've never seen P's as autonomous, but as dependent. I believe the most independent type is INTJ, not INTP. INTP's don't have a lot of will power, and often give in or shy away from whatever their problem is. To me, though, ENTP's seem somewhat more autonomous than INTP's. (I think the tertiary Si is their weakness.)

P's are dependent upon what? P's are more likely to separate themselves from the group structure which makes them more autonomous. J's are more likely to work together for the common good, while P's are more likely to simply act on their own. Note that I am not trying to compliment P's in any way by saying this, I am only stating trends and tendencies. (If anything this is more of a compliment toward J's.)

INTJ's and INTP's both are autonomous types to be sure. On the other hand say there is a conflict within a group. As you say the INTJ has more will power, they are more likely to stick around to try to make their point be heard because they have the most beneficial and practical solution. An INTP will more easily leave the situation, because they don't feel much of a need to be a part of the group to begin with.

Leaders are less autonomous than loners. A leader is still part of the group. The ENTJ is the type most drawn to being a leader, while the INTP is the type most drawn to being a loner. ENTP's and INTJ's are somewhere in between. They can be comfortable either as leaders or loners.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Can you explain how you define autonomy? Do you mean a desire to be self-governing/independent/self-reliant vs. lack of that desire?

I consider myself autonomous in the sense that I'm not a marionette, but I desire/choose to commune and connect with others. I guess by connecting with others you sometimes have to accede to their wishes which lessens autonomy. Does that desire/need make someone unautonomous? I'm confused where autonomy ends and where selfishness begins. I think most people desire autonomy in that they don't want to be controlled by other people and I don't know if this is autonomy or not.

I don't mean a desire to be independent. More precisely I'd say autonomy is acting and placing oneself as independent from a group as opposed to being dependent or interdependent upon a group. The most extreme autonomy being a hermit and never interacting with society. Is that selfish? Yeah it pretty much is. The opposite extreme is a person who always conforms to the group's decision regardless of what it is. Again this is quite unhealthy. Nearly everyone falls somewhere in between the two ends of the spectrum.

When comparing types though the ESFJ is the type most likely to reach a conclusion by group consensus. That's not selfish and it's not particularly autonomous either. The INTP is the type least likely to even want to be a part of the group. I know that man is a social creature, but when it comes to the INTP I sometimes wonder. INTP's as a whole are the most autonomous.

I also agree with the sentiment that INTP's are not particularly inclined to have a lot of common sense.

 

[Athenian200]

P's are dependent upon what? P's are more likely to separate themselves from the group structure which makes them more autonomous. J's are more likely to work together for the common good, while P's are more likely to simply act on their own. Note that I am not trying to compliment P's in any way by saying this, I am only stating trends and tendencies. (If anything this is more of a compliment toward J's.)

INTJ's and INTP's both are autonomous types to be sure. On the other hand say there is a conflict within a group. As you say the INTJ has more will power, they are more likely to stick around to try to make their point be heard because they have the most beneficial and practical solution. An INTP will more easily leave the situation, because they don't feel much of a need to be a part of the group to begin with.

Leaders are less autonomous than loners. A leader is still part of the group. The ENTJ is the type most drawn to being a leader, while the INTP is the type most drawn to being a loner. ENTP's and INTJ's are somewhere in between. They can be comfortable either as leaders or loners.

I guess I meant that they have a harder time shutting things out. They don't make a lot of friends or join a lot of groups, true. But they're that much more vulnerable and dependent on the ones they are part of. Often, they just don't have the will-power and self-determination to decide that something is bad for them, and to act on that. Sure, I'll cooperate with people to achieve something, and often just because it's easier to cooperate if you can. But if the group starts to move in a direction that interferes with my agenda, or becomes too personally draining, I can extricate myself and find another group. INxP's don't have the same ability to cut themselves out of the few groups and people they've grown close to, even if it isn't good for them. (I've seen examples of this with both INTPs and INFPs. I think it is a side effect of that tertiary Si.)

Interestingly, ISxP's seem to find this somewhat easier...

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Hmm, I have rarely heard common sense associated with tradition. I've only really heard it associated with practicality.

It really seems to be what is commonly considered as "practical, sensible, common, real, usual and obvious" in my dictionary. The qualifier "commonly considered" or "mutually agreed upon" is really an essential part of it.

A magnificient, practical but novel and carefully thought-out solution would not be "common sense". Common sense is how you open a milk carton. Design and planning is how you manufacture a milk carton in such a way that people may open it by using common sense.

I don't feel that my Ne is anything like "common sense" in the least bit, in this sense. Most often I find what is usual and commonly accepted for any usual situation, but that's just because I've found it out before (Si). I don't think Ne has anything at all to do with common sense.

I do use Ne to find out every context of a situation, which I can use to feed information to my "common sense" understanding. But that's a different thing. Call Ne the "other common sense" if you will, but it's not that in the usual meaning.

 

[The Ü™]

I look at common sense as the ability to notice the consequences in things, with that said:

Most: INTJ

Least: ESFP

(No, I'm actually not bragging.)

 

[Splittet]

Common sense is a swearword! Something to be looked down on! The word makes me feel sick ...