DO WE NEED A NEW DEFINITION FOR COMMON SENSE?
* By the latter part of the twelfth century (i.e., 1186), greed, corruption, lawlessness. political intrigue, abuse of power, and total immorality had driven the Japanese empire into a state of demoralization. Sound familiar? HEY! THAT’S US!
* The emperor selected Yoritomo-Tashi, one of the greatest statesmen that Japan has ever produced, to save the empire. He defined Common Sense as the condition created by having certain positive mental characteristics (supports) overpowering negative mental characteristics (barriers); reference Post #2.
* Unfortunately ever since the birth of our nation, the barriers have evolved to become the core of our culture! Our current definition for Common Sense can be summarized with four words; check any dictionary.
1. Ordinary…routine, usual, poor, inferior.
2. Opinion…belief stronger than an impression and less strong than positive knowledge. A generally held view.
3.Unreflective…lack of thought and deliberation.
4.Unsophisticated...lacking complexity of structure, simple. Not worldly or wise.
* WHAT’S KEEPING US FROM LEARNING FROM THE PAST?
NO COMMON SENSE
ANALYZE THE EXAMPLE
* Which supports and barriers were in play?
* What were the dynamics?
* Who, or what, won the Tug-of-War?
* Discuss the outcome with your friends and family.
* Use Post #4 as a reference for the dynamics, and the relationships, between supports and barriers.
