Common Sense:
without it, we cannot begin to pursue our ideals
without it, we cannot understand our present situations
without it, we will hopelessly pursue solutions to misunderstood problems
Which is why the pursuit of common sense is the true challenge of our age!
The world is not perfect, nor has it ever been. As we learn about our world, we see depravity and injustice, but the thing is, these ills are not new. As bad as it is now, they were worse in the past. To address the ills of society, we must first grasp the situation as it is…
Those who present easy solutions, or those who focus on sinister motives, are more often than not trying to take advantage of the ignorant. This was what made Alex Jones a rich man…
This is also what made Bernie Sanders a national sensation. And while I agree with Bernie’s ideals, his tactics are harmful. Rallying society to a fix an injustice, when the solution is not nearly as simple as presented, only fosters cynicism, when the inevitable failure occurs.
The world is filled with injustices, but not all of them are the cause of nefarious motives. Many of the modern injustices are caused the complexity of building a better, more stable society, and not evil intent…
And yes, many nefarious people take advantage of the injustice for their own benefit, but they are not the enemy, they are just the expected result. The focus needs not be on them, but on making the present state of society, not perfect, but better.
“Better is good.”
This is why understanding, analysis and COMMON SENSE needs to be the goal in our time. Simple solutions and emotionally fulfilling retweets might be the comfort one needs, and might even find some temporary political success, but it is not the solution. The pursuit needs to be the hard work of understanding why, and then, what next.
So do not despair, but learn, read, question yourself, and remain involved, but do not succumb to the ease of simple, focus on the pursuit of enlightenment.
As Thomas Paine wrote many years ago: “The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.” — Thomas Paine, 1782
And through enlightenment — the pursuit of greater understanding — common sense will prevail: the challenges of our day can be made better when we pursue a better tomorrow with common sense.