By Dr. Anthony Policastro

There are several layers to our ability to think as rational human beings. They are based on our experiences and education. Those things affect how our brain tells us to act.

The most basic layer is common sense. The term itself means something that should be very apparent to every individual. The definition is that it refers to what is expected of most people in a predictable situation. It requires just everyday experiences. There is no special learning involved.

Common sense might tell you to be careful of talking to strangers. It is a basic instinct. It does not really matter what the situation is.

The second layer is knowledge. This refers to facts that are accumulated over time. It includes information learned. It includes skills that are learned. It can be very specific like knowing a piece of trivia. It can be more general like being an expert in a certain subject.

Knowledge is a step beyond common sense. The individual has learned that situations are not always as they first appear. They might see a stranger on the street. They still might not approach the stranger. However, they might also make some judgments about the individual. The stranger might be homeless. They might be lost. However, that becomes the limit of the interaction.

The third layer is wisdom. This is the ability to make judgments and decisions. The foundation for those things are because of what they have learned. It relies on knowledge. It relies on experience. It relies on understanding.

It is a more complex level of understanding. It involves things like ethical decision making. It does this by looking at the entire situation. It looks at the pros and cons of actions. It is associated with qualities like compassion. It is associated with foresight. It is associated with the ability to learn from experiences.

This type of individual will use previous experiences to decide if a stranger needs them to take some kind of action. The individual might be lost and need directions. The individual might look ill and need to have help called.

Thus there is a progression from basic common sense to a higher level of wisdom. Those with wisdom may do things that do not appear to be logical to those with a common sense approach.

It is like many things that our brain does. There are different levels of functioning based upon what our education and experiences have taught us. Thus having common sense is a good thing. It is not always the most complete thing.