Not so Common Sensical

   Use your common sense!  We all have probably heard this said to someone, to us, or at some other point and situation in our lives.  It means to use our brains.  It is like that of having good sense.  Good sense means we do something by using our brains and possibly our past experiences to do something different that just makes sense!  You may go to work after a rainstorm.  It would be common sense to watch out for puddles and avoid slippery places.  Typically you would not watch out for puddles on a sunny dry day.  It is just common sense to not want to reach work wet and muddy.

   Now, not all people think alike.  Not everyone has the same brain or good sense.  And because of this, it is sometimes hard for others to get along with others, because they think their common sense is THE common sense and everyone should think that.  Why?  Well, because it is common.  But people need to use their common sense (especially if they ever had siblings) that not all people have the same “common” sense as them.

   This essay, however, is mainly not about common common sense.  It is about Thomas Paine’s work, Common Sense.  This was written about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War of 1776.  His idea was to change the minds and thinking of the people.  He said this is the common sense when talking about politics.

   First of all, most of his “arguments” were not logical, throwing common sense out the window.  He focused mainly on using rhetoric.  But what was the most illogical?

   He contradicted himself a lot.  This is what made it very illogical.  Am I saying all of his arguments were illogical?   No.  I am saying most of his works are very non-common sensical.

   For example, he said he believed every man had rights.  But he also did not uphold the rights of men in England.  He believed that people who wanted to reconcile with a loved one or a friend is weak and foolish.  He said a country in debt is good.  He then went on to say that a country should not be in debt.  He believed everyone believed in independence.  However during the war, people were still loyal to the crown.  He said independence was always going to happen in a country.  This is not true.

   One of his arguments that really irritated was his thoughts on war being peaceful.  War is not peaceful.  Paine believed that it brought peace.  It may for a short time, but you also may have the enemy jealous and waiting to strike back.  This gives people fear.  Also, when men go to war, their families are always biting their nails, scared.  This happens on both sides.  No war is peaceful.  The peace may never come for both sides.  But I believe always at least one side will not be in peace.  Typically the loser who has consequences heading their way.  I do not understand how a war could be peaceful.

   I am just using my common sense.

~Perrissa