The Tragedy of Common Sense
What is common sense? According to Oxford Languages, common sense is defined as good sense and sound judgement in practical matters. Seems easy enough, and we should all seek to have it. Right?
Before we dive into the problematic and subjective nature of words like “good” and “sound”, we must first begin with the word common. What is something that is common? To be common is something that is prevalent or to be shared, but does that mean common is inherently good? For if a word being used to define another is at direct contextual odds with the word being defined, that definition is void of any objective meaning. Before I lose you, let me put it into application. If common is not always good, by definition, “common sense” is a false idea that cannot and does not exist because the very essence of the word common is at odds with the definition of the term common sense.
Let’s look at this problem from a parable’s perspective. There is a common pond stocked with fish. You have a family of four and dinner time is approaching. Its a little late in the year and winters are unkind to traverse the terrain. So, when you go to the pond stocked with fish , you don't simply catch the exact amount of fish you need, which is four. Instead, you catch ten fish in order to stock up for the harsh season ahead. Its a commonplace, and this equates to common sense in the acceptable definitional terms of the word.
We humans are advantaged with the knowledge of the future. Therefore, with regards to fishing in the pond, it is considered common sense to simply take ten fish instead of four. After all, you are not taking all of the fishes from the pond. You are only taking the amount you believe you need for the present and the foreseeable future. The problem, however, is when everyone has this sort of thinking, you quickly run out of fish all together! This concept is known as The Tragedy of The Commons. I want to take the concept a bit further and calling this The Tragedy of Common Sense.
Humans put a lot of emphasize on personal intelligence. Often times, we forget we are also feeling and intuitive creatures and that intelligence alone is a poor substitute for wisdom. What is considered common sense is almost always not much sense at all when looked at on a grander scale. A more applicable and modern example is the supposed “common sense” that you should work a job you hate to save for the future or that you must go to college to be successful in the world. These notions are surely common but are completely nonsensical on an individualized basis!
These advices and suppositions are from other people who are simply not you. If you are not the origin of your own endeavors, why are you doing them? What is it that you want to do? Bringing us to the problematic nature of using words like “good” and “sound” in definitions due to the subjectivity of the words themselves. Who decides what is “good” or “sound”? What are the objective standards to define these things? The only objective truth is these terms are “good” and “sound” depending on the agent speaking these terms. Meaning its wholly up to the individual to decide for themselves what is “good” and what is “sound”. Many times, a person has no idea what is good for them because they have never taken the time to actually find that out.
Coming full circle, what is the solution to The Tragedy of Common Sense? I believe it is in rugged individualism. The paradoxical nature of individualism is that in order to thrive as an individual you must learn how to serve the group. As Austrian economist and philosopher Ludwig von Mises stated, we as individuals are means and ends within ourselves. To serve ourselves, we must provide means for others and vice versa. The market system beautifully replicates the balance that nature seeks to maintain.
The market is the best solution for this tragedy because it places value on the individual who serves the group. Going back to the pond example, how would you ensure the waters stayed stocked with fish while you and your neighbors had enough to eat and feed your families? Become a fisherman! Learn all there is to know about the fish. Study their breeding cycles, their lifespans, the feeding times, and so on. As the fisherman, you will be able to roughly calculate how many fish are in the pond in contrast with how many fish are needed to fill the demand. It will take time to amalgamate all of this knowledge, so you will have to create an accepted medium of exchange for your time and effort and the fish you are providing to for your neighbors. In this system, you have individuals working on their own endeavors to meet the demands of the many. This system is capitalism.
Today, we are placing a greater emphasis on the whole rather than on the individual — a dangerous and often fatal mistake. We are being conditioned to believe that freedom is selfish and individualism is immoral. We do this to our own detriment. The internet era has allowed us to connect like never before. Once insurmountable barriers like geography and language are being dismantled before our very eyes. This instant connectivity means it is more important now than in any other point in history to express individuality and protect the diversity of thought. Equality of outcome is the antithesis to progress and freedom.
