Here I go with one of my "train of thoughts". Recently, I've noticed the term "common sense" frequently used.
Teal used it in a comment to me. The President, in the SOU address, said "It's just plain common sense" (not class warfare) to have fair tax rates.

Thomas Paine's famous pamphlet was titled "Common Sense". What IS common sense?

Webster defines it as "sound and prudent judgment based on simple perception of the situation or facts."

The phrase actually makes sense (unintentional play on words here). Common: well known, widespread. Sense: perceptions (unless we're talking about the 5 senses--although some "experts" claim we have as much as 30 senses).
In other words, a sense of smell is not the same as "I sense something amiss". But the smell of smoke would lead one to say the latter. Still, they are different.

Like my previous post on "rights", I'm thinking (ouch) that "common sense" is not universal. I like the word "perception" here. What one perceives as common sense may not be taken as common at all. Evidently, Republicans don't consider "fair taxing of the rich" common sense.

In religion, worshippers say it's common sense to believe in a higher power. It makes sense to them (for some reason). I happen to believe it makes more sense not to believe in a god. Our "common senses" are diametrically opposite!

So I guess what I'm saying is common sense is in the mind of the indivual. It's one's own personal outlook (okay, perception). "One man's junk is another man's treasure"!

Enough. I promise my next post will be non-philosophical!