What's something you believed to be true but recently learned is actually false?

3volver@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 81 points –
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Besides all of what you said being wrong...

You think "a few years ago" is recent?

"Common sense" literally just means stuff most people are likely to know.

It used to be common sense to not sneak up behind a horse in the dark. But most people today have no idea why that could literally cost you your life, unless if they watched GoT or something and remember what happened to Hodor.

If horses were still everywhere, it would still be common sense. Because common sense stuff didn't need to be taught. An average person would have learned that by a certain age regardless of if anyone ever tried to teach them.

Either they'd have been kicked by a horse, or they'd have seen/heard of a person being kicked.

Most of the time when I see people make the complaint you just did, it's because they're older and don't understand information that was important for them, is no longer important for the next generation.

“Common sense” literally just means stuff most people are likely to know.

Here's the problem, who are "most people"? Have you surveyed whatever group you pick?

"Common sense" is more often than not just whatever your personal bias of "obvious" information is.

For people in my general circles it's "common sense" to use a password manager, git, etc. For plenty of people they'll just give a glazed over quizzical look/not even know what I'm talking about.

So as to say, common sense exists in some sense, but it doesn't "exist" in the meaningful way many people would like it to.

I have another example from work. Most if not all of the people I work with have personal boats, ATVs, etc, and so in their free time tow trailers pretty regularly. We also use trailers at work. Some college interns start working with us, and no one bothers to check their trailer knowledge because (you guessed it) it’s common sense. Which resulted in the college interns trying to drive a vehicle into the trailer when it wasn’t hitched up.

What the interns didn’t know is you want the trailer to be hitched to a vehicle so the front of the trailer stays in place when you’re putting weight on the back. Otherwise the trailer becomes a seesaw and the front end jumps up into the air.

My general rule is if you’re about to say something like, “That’s just common sense,” you should stop yourself. Common sense to whom? In my experience people call something “common sense” when it’s something they’re used to doing and they forget not everyone is used to doing it.

Cute argument. Love it!

I was actually kicked twice by horses when I was a child. Maybe you should pass that information along to the newer generations..

You know, actually teach what you believe should be common sense...

You know, actually teach what you believe should be common sense

...

You completely and utterly missed every point I was making if you still think that's common sense.

Here's an example of common sense in 2024, that's actually relevant to "newer generations" tho:

When someone is that incapable of understanding something, blocking them is better than wasting time repeating yourself.

Again, that's not common sense. There is no such thing as common sense.

You had to be educated to learn to use digital technology in the first place.

But maybe, just maybe you can listen to your own supposed 'common sense', and just drop your argument and go touch some grass or something.

Why do people who are also on the internet always feel like trying to say the other person doesn't go outside is a valid argument it's just as likely you're a basement dwelling virgin who hasn't seen the sun in months as it is he is.

I'm between pit stops right now, elbow deep in grease and about to have to change a starter on a Hyundai.

And I've had more than my share of relationships. Thank you for the insult though.

And yet you still find all this time to argue on the internet? Hopefully one day I can be half as successful as you!

I just finished successfully replacing the starter.

I'm also finished with this comment chain.

The other guy was finished hours ago, he must be even more successful than you I guess!

We just made it like 120 miles back home and replaced the starter under warranty.

This isn't a dick measuring contest, but we made it back home and replaced the starter, under warranty, under my labor..

F off.

I get what you were saying and what the other commenter was saying. You're saying that no knowledge is inherent, all knowledge needs to be learned.

The other commenter was conflating common sense with common knowledge, being knowledge that the majority of people know and can recall (but would still need to be learned at some point from somewhere).

I don't think you are wrong, and I think the other commenter was trying to say that common knowledge changed over time (true). I hope neither of you let it affect your day too badly.

But by creating isolated communities, the common sense will be isolated alongside into clusters of uncommon common senses which will make them not common at all.

I think you've misunderstood the comment you replied to. You're agreeing.