What is common sense?

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1. if you have to ask what it is, you probably lack it

2. i have been told that i lack it, and choose to take the observation as a compliment, because

3. based on what i have observed, when people say i have no "common sense," they seem to mean that i fail to grasp the most OBVIOUS meaning in things/conversations.

and instead, they think i am "stupid" because i "overthink" things. when actually i do not, it is just that if someone says "Hi." i will be just as likely to look upwards or look around for the druggie, because even though "common sense" dictates that i should see that "Hi" is always going to just be a greeting i should return, my brain still insists that the NEXT "Hi" might mean something different.

so this tendency is regarded as intelligence if i am problem solving or working on a creative project, but it limits my ability to follow directions and do "simple" tasks, because i am usually unsure what people WANT and/or MEAN, because my priorities are so naturally different.

I'd like this thread to keep going. Don't give up on us, Beautifulspam.

Common sense is a simple form of logic. I would say that common sense is more an amalgamation of intuition, experience and habit that develop into solid, well organized chains of "if...then..." statements.

I have changed your definition. Common sense is so obvious and logical to those who have it. What other way would you do it!

On the trip I knew I had to keep my passport handy at airports etc. I had it close but invariably it would slip to the bottom of my handbag or I would put it in a different compartment. Next time I go I will copy my friend and have a different handbag with lots of compartments and I'll label them if necessary!

I like the raincoat analogy. I think some things don't need to be explained--- they just are. It isn't about IQ or being social, either. If the water is hot, touching it will burn or hurt--- Common sense tells you to test the water temperature before plunging your arm in it ( either the "pinky finger test "or a real thermometer). If you walk out in front of a speeding car, you will possibly get hit--- common sense tells you not to walk in front of speeding vehicles UNLESS you WANT to get hit ( that would mean you are possibly suicidal but at least you knew what the outcome might be) .
There are some things that might be common sense in some places but not to those people who are not from that area--- down here where I live, it is common knowledge that we have flying cockroaches. Everyone here knows it. It is common sense to use a long-handled flyswatter to swat these things, as if you miss they might fly onto you! But people in Canada or Denmark might not know this, so it is not common sense to them.

An idea, belief or concept is called 'common sense' when one can not express a proper reasoning or logic to found it on. Can be useful.

Actually, this question began in a conversation with my psychiatrist. I had asked him on one occcasion why I seem to be gifted academically but so incompetent at simple tasks that people who know me outside of the classroom think I am "a little slow" and "not too bright."

He said, "This is a very common problem with Asperger's Syndrome. You have academic gifts but at the same time you have deficits in dealing with practical day to day tasks."

To which I replied, "So what distinguishes a practical task from an academic task such that someone with AS may be broadly incompetent at one and broadly competent at the other."

At this point he began repeating himself, so I came here.

I like what was said earlier in this thread re: predicting outcomes. Restated, we can say that common sense includes:

1-The ability to identify ones own interests and to understand how present actions will affect those interests in the future.

We aren't going to be able to nail these definitions down logically.

I think it really does have a lot to do with the executive dysfunction a lot of us struggle with. Here's a link to a spectrum blogger who discusses this common trait.

http://www.geocities.com/growingjoel/ef.html

I'm not going to comment very much in this post because it's early and I haven't had my dark chocolate peppermint frappuccino yet, and because I don't think I could possibly improve on what Joel has to say herein. His own strategy, which I have heard works for a lot of people, involves relying on checklists -- sort of an SOP for life.

There may not be very much we *can* say about this topic which would give us solace or much comfort. The others who have suggested that this is a planning issue are correct. "Common sense" is opinions and tasks which most people have internalized enough to become automatic. People on the spectrum internalize things by a different process, so our "common sense" looks spotty to other people. We have difficulty, I think, mostly because a lot of "common sense" items are culturally infused with notions of maturity, responsibility, and value judgment.

To be fair, other people's "common sense" looks spotty to us as well. Amanda Baggs has an amazing and insightful youtube video about this called "If You Can Do X, Why Can't You Do Y?" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WK144ZdxFU

Common sense is what I would call "situational intelligence." In other words, knowing what to do in a given situation. To do this, one must be fery aware of one's surroundings and all possible consequences of one's actions. Because those of us with autism live "In our own world" we don't do this so well.

What you define as "Academic tasks" require mostly verbal or left-brained intelligence. Even mathematical and scientific skills are grouped with verbal intelligence because they require the same skills as verbal tasks. Because those with Asperger's have high verbal intelligence, this comes easily to us.

I wasn't exactly thinking of a Psychiatrist.

I think that you should accept the possibility that maybe you'll never understand Common Sense or that it will come in time and trying to force it wont help. I've heard a couple of times that some of the weaknesses of being an Aspie simply go away as you get older and learn through experience.

an oxymoron

I used to be told I didn't have common sense either. I didn't have it because I didn't know what I was expected of from society. I couldn't learn these things without being told because I didn't understand society and didn't see any significance in it. People didn't understand that was why I didn't have "common sense". I can't learn to pick up on social cues if no one could tell me about them. I can't learn them on my own because I simply don't get them. There is otherwise nothing wrong with the logic I use in mathematics. I learn certain things from my own experiences; they're just not social ones. Or maybe my clumsiness is mistaken for a lack of common sense.

Again, most people don't access AS people properly and mislabel them or refuse to understand their problems with obtaining their concept of common sense.

lol, I suppose I lack it. I do many things such as:

Putting a sweater on my daughter just because it is chilly in the morning. Unable to predict whether or not it will warm up, I look at the forecast, go back outside, figure it's still cold, and do not remember to send clothes with her just in case it does get warm.

I often live in the moment because I can't really predict how things will turn out at all. I don't even think far enough ahead for a lot of "if this happens, I might need this" type of stuff. I think it for a second, but don't take it into account when it comes to leaving the house.

When I pick my children up from daycare, there is always this sheet that the teacher has written up for my daughter. I'm supposed to pick this thing up every single day. I remember on Thursdays when the teacher chases me around with the stack of papers and physically hands them to me, lol. Because I know I need to get this sheet every day, but when I get there, the kids are outside. I immediately dismiss picking up the sheet because what I think instead is, "the kids are ready, let's get in the car and go home". I have to go inside to get the sheet, and the door is closed to go in. Common sense, I suppose *should* tell me to go in and get the stupid forms, since that is what I'm supposed to do, but once I see the kids, and the closed door, things instantly get confusing. I never just walk to the door and go in. The teacher always has to bring them to me after I have let them pile up. As silly as it sounds to forget something so small, these things are sometimes important. Written on them is what she ate for the day, whether or not she played well with the other children, and whether or not there is anything that they need (i.e. "we are out of pull-ups", "please have your child bring in an apple for our next craft project", "please have your child wear red on Wednesday"). You would think that would motivate me, but it doesn't. I cannot get around the idea of them being ready to leave, and seeing a closed door that I need to go through to get the form.

Another example: People have handed me cups with straws in them before, and I've moved the straw out of my way to take a drink from the cup. I've removed lids just to get a drink. The straw does not register, lol.

Bleh. I wear sandals all the time, regardless of how cold it is. Except if it's snowing.

Problems dealing with daily chores are not from a lack of common sense. It's from becoming so focused on one detail of a chore that some of the other details are forgotten. The answer is to learn to catch that and expand your viewpoint of what you're doing to include the whole chore.

Common sense is knowing what to do in situations that come up frequently. The amalgam given before is a good description.