Often when we speak, we use the following constructions: "i suppose", "it seems to me that", "fr om my point of view" etc. But what really stands behind our points of view? Information, of course. Moreover, it's not really the information, but it's the quality and the quantity of the information.
Today the main source of the information for an average person would be the MEDIA, but as was well put - the news are not the events themselves but, comments to them.
Before getting on the air, radio or paper all the information goes through strict censorship so it can be put out to the benefit of the administering elite. Even stronger censorship is provided in the case of textbooks and kindergarten, school and university educational programs. It can be easily proved. Just compare how much not only the books have changed, but also the information in them. Just like in Orwell's 1984, wh ere culture and history is altered for the benefit of the government. Under the name of fashion, pop-culture (music, movies, literature) is filtered. Basically, you cannot rely on the media; you have to have your own head on your shoulders. Though, of course you have one, but lets take a look inside of it.
Let us consider the notions such as “mind”, “wit” and “intelligence”. These words are not synonyms as they are usually thought to be.
Mind gets information from five senses: smell, touch, hearing, sight, taste. Optical illusions, colour-blindness, bad sight, bad ear of music... All of this proves the imperfection of our senses. In other words, from the beginning of obtaining it, the information we get is not absolutely true.
Wit is a organ, which analyses the information we got from the mind. Rama made a good statement about the disadvantages of wit when he was talking to Sage Vasishtha: "...wit only pursues pleasures, but never gets them. Like a lion in the cage, wit's always uneasy..." I would like to add this to Rama's words... «a fool chooses what he likes, a wise man chooses what will be useful for him" - our wit is strongly attached to pleasures, which are it's main priorities, and that alters the analysed information.
And at last, intelligence - it's a bag of conclusions made, which if even are relevant, they cannot fully show you the picture, because of so many imperfections. So it appears that our mind, wit and intelligence are limited by our primitive senses and it's highly impossible to find truth with their help. But even if it is possible it's not 100% accurate, because when you say "i think" and "it seems to me" it may be just it and nothing more.
What's left is the "point of view". Let us turn to the mistress of knowledge - maths. The idea of point is fundamental and it's necessary to understand other ideas and notions. For example: one point in space belongs to unlimited number of planes, two points make a straight line (opposite points (of view)), one straight line also may belong to a number of planes, but using three points, which are not lying on the same plane, we make one definite plane! The same principal works when we're seeking the truth. We need three points, three pillars. Here they are: Our ancestors' opinion, an opinion of a competent person and our own experience. These three make Common Sense, an opposite to what we talking about earlier - self-opinion.
Ancestors' opinion. Parents always wish their children the best, that is why our ancestors, knowing that we might get in trouble, left their admonitions. Ancient poems, compilations of admonitions, commandments, proverbs and sayings, tales – all of it is a fountain of information. Scientific and technical advance is just a baby comparing to the heritage that was left thousands of years ago.
Many say that there is not enough left of this heritage. Friends! Only the sayings "live with clear conscience, be friends with Nature" and "honour your Gods and your forefathers" have an answer to thousands of questions, what should de done and what should not.
An opinion of a competent person. When we want to learn music or art we turn to a good musician or artist, to have a pair of shoes we go to a good shoemaker, and tasty bread we buy from a decent baker. Competence is a quality of a person who possesses vast knowledge about something, thereafter his opinion about it can be counted on. It's not an opinion of some random person or the majority; it's an opinion of a person who proved his point in real life. Who talks from experience. It's possible to find a competent person in every field. And by using his advice you can save time by avoiding many mistakes. Naturally, our forefathers were also competent to the admonitions they've left, but an opinion of competent contemporary can estimate the knowledge we inherited. With these two things combined together we are almost able to eliminate the possibility of being wrong and then we go the third pillar of Common Sense - personal experience.
Personal experience - is a necessary condition of Common Sense, because if you didn't live through it you cannot be competent about it and give other people advices and admonitions. But of course, you should know the difference between fields when practising Common Sense. For example, considering the use of drugs: ancestors' opinion and a talk with a competent drug user should be enough to make right conclusions, thereafter right decisions. Though for some, unfortunately, it's not enough.
Thereafter, it's clear that all those pillars are important to get a personal experience (understanding), like the wise men said "think seven times before doing something once".
Once i came across an opinion that Common Sense destroys one's creativity, stating that when following the instructions one cannot attain the creativity our ancestors had. Perhaps, it's true for those who support the evolution theory. But if looked thoroughly into modern life with Common Sense, it's clear that right now modern society is degrading, not evolving. Thereafter, their opinion naturally can be considered false. It's like, if my child asked me: "i want to cut my finger off - to know whether or not I'll grow a new one." And so, not to eliminate his creativity and the searching spirit of his, i would give him the knife. Well, we all know nothing good will happen of it... Meanwhile, juvenile laws think otherwise=)
Common Sense - is a powerful instrument, left by our forefathers, so we would not get lost on the path of self-improvement, and so we would advance with minimal losses. Just like a guiding star leading us through the darkness of modern ignorance. Like a compass, which will not let us get lost in the maze of pluralism and tolerance. I wish all of Common Sense.
OM!