I don't know but common sense just doesn't come to me easily. It takes me a little later to get certain things that people normally understand. I hate faking that I do. I mean I know I'm really innattentive and I forget things a lot, but when people say certain things I'm like thinking to myself huh, what the heck is he talking about on the inside, but on the outside I just laugh away. I know this happens to everyone, but for me it happens quite often. Can anyone help me with this with your stories or suggestions. I'd appreciate it.

This happens to us all the time, its because we are thinking on a tangent compared to the obvious thing. Occam's razor doesn't come easily to us! (the most obvious and easiest answer is usually the correct one - occam's razor)

I know, I don't get some jokes, and sometimes it's hard for me to understand why the hell someone is telling me something.

Noup. I have a well developed common sense. When something happens my mind goes all crazy inside and I get to the most logical response in almost no time.

Oh yes, I should say that common sense as far as it's concerned with making decisions I have no problem with, in fact its a pet peeve of mine that people don't come to the most rational conclusions.

I meant to the OP more of when people are making jokes or telling a parable or something or a riddle, I hate riddles, I answer and the person is like "ah no.... how the hell did you think that up?"

I think I got a good common sense in certain areas, but very bad in others. My logic is quite ok, and my sense of morality too. I don't get a lot of jokes as well: I seem to be serious when others aren't and vice versa. My reactions can also be a bit naive, even childlike sometimes.
And indeed, thinking on a tangent. I can be slow as well in responding.

This is sometimes a bit annoying or frustrating, but usually I don't mind too much. Usually others don't really mind too much either .. some even find it sweet or amusing. I have never found a way to change this, besides find people that accept me.

It just depends on who you're talking with. Sometimes norms seem to me to lack any common sense. I've heard people say I don't have common sense but I quickly realized that their idea of common sense and my idea of it are very different. Sense is, after all, rather uncommon.

Hear Hear!

My DH is very logical and grounded. i get that i have some serious book smarts but totally lack common sense. Maybe it's just that i can't focus long enough to think things through.

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen
from an ex-signature of ADDF :: HF
(and Einstein):o

common sense is doing stuff that everyone has done - like - since fuurrr-e-v-huurrr -
- in exactly the same way.
(yawn)
And that would be
-> boring.

~*~

ADDers have such tremendous sense - that instead - rebranding
common as uncommon sense -
would seem in (dis)order for dis contrary order.

Sure, I miss some obvious things, but I see things other people don't.

Highly intelligent people also have very little common sense.:D

I think I have good common sense. But, it seems to take a vacation sometimes. My mind just doesn't stop long enough for it to kick in.

example of sense on vacation.....
I love the rain and my hubby and I just moved into a new house this summer.
The first rain I decided to open the door so I could hear the rain. I saw the rain hitting the screen door and running down and my brain didn't stop to think...ummm the screen door has lots of holes the water will come inside, instead it saw water running down and left it assuming I was fine. An hour later I walked over and found the floor very wet...thats when the common sense came back...doh!

I do weird things like that all the time. It makes me look "blond"

I don't have much common sense - thats in common with normal people. ;)

But I do have my own common sense (sometimes), which brings about more innovative and creative solutions than normal people.

Do you mean "low self monitoring"? :)

If you are slow in "getting" things, I'd look into whether there may be a processing disorder or working memory problems (auditory memory?) happening.

I just thought that the innattentive part would have a lot to do with lacking some common since. I'm very innattentive and I don't think straight a lot because my mind runs too much.

Lol see that right there took me like a minute to get that. I'm slow lol.


from an ex-signature of ADDF :: HF
(and Einstein):o

common sense is doing stuff that everyone has done - like - since fuurrr-e-v-huurrr -
- in exactly the same way.
(yawn)
And that would be
-> boring.

~*~

ADDers have such tremendous sense - that instead - rebranding
common as uncommon sense -
would seem in (dis)order for dis contrary order.

Do you mean "low self monitoring"? :)

??? Izziz gettin' the wrong end of the stick here ???

->-

{important information} (http://www.aidsaction.info/images/mshm/mshm31.gif)
- perhaps though not in this exact context
dunno'

-<-

aren't I?

from an ex-signature of ADDF :: HF
(and Einstein):o

Many of us don't follow trends enough to acquire "common sense" to begin with. Some simply do not have the drive to emulate others. Some are less concerned with the ideas of "right" and "wrong" [, and how they apply to what isn't distinctly right or wrong to begin with,] than others.

While there may be some actions that would be clearly less intelligent (well, even that is debatable to an extent) than others, it's really about what one is trying to accomplish (i.e. intent). This is often one source of thinking that one is without "common sense", as one party might be oblivious to the fact that the other might not be sharing the same goal.

As far as the original question, it depends on one's perspective. For many, this might be a requirement of survival (to cope with other differences). I wouldn't necessarily agree that ADD and not having "common sense" necessarily go together (for common sense meaning good judgement, but that is highly subjective). I would think that it has a potential to interfere, but then again, there are many that are not impaired that still might be considered to have judgement issues by some. I guess I would think that it simply depends on the situation.

Wow, I hadn't realized that the concept of "common sense" was so blurred and subjective. I'd always thought of common sense as things like:

changing the oil in your car when you should so the engine doesn't burn up...
starting dinner early so that it's ready at a reasonable time...
not waiting until ALL of the laundry's dirty before washing it...
paying attention to things that are cooking so that they don't boil over and burn...
leaving just five minutes earlier so I'm not late every single time!

You might be getting the idea that these are all things that I do NOT do. I can even see how, to an NT, I might appear to be stupid or something. But I've learned that this has nothing to do with "sense" at all. It may have something to do with memory, but mostly it's about motivation. I don't care to do any of the above because I have a dozen projects I'd much prefer to be doing at any given moment. It's not that I didn't think of these practical, sensible actions - it's just that they were immediately forgotten once I was distracted by something far more interesting. My husband finds me baffling, I'm sure (honestly, if I have to listen to one more tutorial on how to NOT boil things over....!!).

I overanalyze, hyperfocus and obsess for days some times to figure out common sense solutions to other people.

I don't know if this is an ADD/ADHD thing or what but I often have the toughest time trying to figure out if people are serious or joking. I almost take everything people say as gospel. Which is really odd because I know that I joke around a lot (maybe too much) and take very little seriously.

However, if someone mentions something that sounds the remotest bit critical I almost always take it as a serious negative comment.

Unless something is so completely outragous, then I'll assume it's a joke but even in that case, it often gets me into trouble because I'll think someone is joking when in fact they really are serious.

As for *my* common sense - it's gone. Unless it's all scripted ahead of time I really don't have much. Maybe it's because having common sense means you must grasp (sometimes quickly) the gravity of a situation and with regards to that, I again have the toughest time doing.

I believe that common sense is not "common." I believe it is mostly learned and partly connecting things in your mind.

I never really thought much about the matter until I met one person in particular. It has been from getting to know this person that I developed the belief that common sense is not common, but learned. This person does the stupidest things and doesn't understand a lot of common phrases and such. As far as doing stupid things, its because he does not connect possible consequences to certain actions. He just doesn't think about it. He continues to put us in awe when someone says something so simple as a pun and he doesn't get it. It truly baffles me how someone could be so (I hate to be mean, but) stupid.

However, what this person lacks in social knowledge, he makes up for in mechanical ability and creativity in building things with his hands.

Having said that, I must tell you that this person is ADD-Inattentive - very inattentive. You could say something directly to him, then ask him what you just said, and he would tell you that he forgot. (B.S. I know he wasn't listening!)

As far as ADD relating to the lack of common sense, I think that it's very possible, especially for someone who tunes out to the world around him a lot. (You don't learn if you don't pay attention.) Also, our brains (ADDers) work differently, so that could have something to do with it.

I have ADD-Inattentive Type. I have a lot of common sense (I believe), but I also have those "DUH" moments. For example, last week my van conked out on me. (Luckily I was in a parking lot.) I didn't know what was wrong with it, I figured it had just finally died of old age. I called my husband to come and rescue us. We waited 30-40 minutes. I had my four kids to keep me busy. When my husband got there and I cranked it, he mentioned something about gas. Then it hit me - "DUH! I ran out of gas." What makes this really bad though, is that my van has two tanks and the second tank was full. My husband said he thought that would be the first thing I'd check. Well, it should have been, but it didn't even cross my mind.

Dictionary: (http://www.answers.com/library/Dictionary-cid-17243) common sense
n.


Sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge; native good judgment.


Based on this definition common sense is my strong point. This is the positive thing my family has said about me. But, I don't always use it. Here is an example when driving in the country yesterday I noticed many bicyclists, they ride with the traffic, I believe this is the law? I would never ride with the traffic on a narrow two lane road, that is not good common sense to me. Reason: If someone is not paying attention and their coming towards you and going to hit you, than you can at least swerve into the ditch.

I believe that common sense is not "common." I believe it is mostly learned and partly connecting things in your mind.

I never really thought much about the matter until I met one person in particular. It has been from getting to know this person that I developed the belief that common sense is not common, but learned. This person does the stupidest things and doesn't understand a lot of common phrases and such. As far as doing stupid things, its because he does not connect possible consequences to certain actions. He just doesn't think about it. He continues to put us in awe when someone says something so simple as a pun and he doesn't get it. It truly baffles me how someone could be so (I hate to be mean, but) stupid.

However, what this person lacks in social knowledge, he makes up for in mechanical ability and creativity in building things with his hands.

Having said that, I must tell you that this person is ADD-Inattentive - very inattentive. You could say something directly to him, then ask him what you just said, and he would tell you that he forgot. (B.S. I know he wasn't listening!)

As far as ADD relating to the lack of common sense, I think that it's very possible, especially for someone who tunes out to the world around him a lot. (You don't learn if you don't pay attention.) Also, our brains (ADDers) work differently, so that could have something to do with it.

I have ADD-Inattentive Type. I have a lot of common sense (I believe), but I also have those "DUH" moments. For example, last week my van conked out on me. (Luckily I was in a parking lot.) I didn't know what was wrong with it, I figured it had just finally died of old age. I called my husband to come and rescue us. We waited 30-40 minutes. I had my four kids to keep me busy. When my husband got there and I cranked it, he mentioned something about gas. Then it hit me - "DUH! I ran out of gas." What makes this really bad though, is that my van has two tanks and the second tank was full. My husband said he thought that would be the first thing I'd check. Well, it should have been, but it didn't even cross my mind.
I think the gas thing is different, thats just typical ADD stuff to me, from being distracted etc. I thing with your above ex: Its when someone really thinks about it and can not see cause and affect. My best friend that I grew up with had no common sense, she was the person who would want to get a table cloth off the table, pulls it off w/ dishes on it, and looks at it like why did that happen. It used to drive me crazy to be around her when her kids were little as she really didnt see what was going to happen w/ them. I was constantly worried they would get hurt and I also worried her dog would get hit by a car. Somehow they all made it.

A few months ago, I intended to cook a chicken on the grill. Discovering that we were out of propane, I threw the chicken away!

It didn't occur to me that this was a dumb @ss thing to do, until I mentioned it to my mother a few days later.

Yet, I seem to be able to cut through the fluff and come up with quick, perfectly logical solutions and explinations for other things all the time. I come across so many things that don't make sense that I do wind up feeling like I have a better grasp on things than some people. For instance, the main road near my dr. office has a sidewalk on one side of the road, and none on the other. The sidewalk side has a sign that reads "Walk on this side, facing traffic". Umm... what if your destination is in the opposite direction?! Do you have to walk backwards?

Does ADD have anything to do with not having much common sense.


=NO=


retarded people, poverty stricken, born addicted to heroin at birth uneducated, and people raised by wolves, might not be ADHD

It just depends on who you're talking with. Sometimes norms seem to me to lack any common sense. I've heard people say I don't have common sense but I quickly realized that their idea of common sense and my idea of it are very different. Sense is, after all, rather uncommon.

I'll drink to that.