{"id":1058,"date":"2024-06-17T12:59:42","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T12:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/?p=1058"},"modified":"2024-06-17T13:01:09","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T13:01:09","slug":"adulthood-the-myth-of-common-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/adulthood-the-myth-of-common-sense\/","title":{"rendered":"Adulthood: The Myth of Common Sense"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 17, 2024<\/strong> – Adulthood: The Myth of Common Sense<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdulthood is 90% common sense. In fact, this author dares to say that 90% of adults actually lack this essential feature of adulthood called common sense. I wonder, how do we survive?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Diary,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s musings arise from a profound realisation: Adulthood is supposed to be 90% common sense. But, let\u2019s face it, 90% of adults actually lack this essential feature of adulthood called common sense. Forgive me if I am done questioning people\u2019s sanity. My adult life has shocked me so much, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve got any more shock absorbers left. Now, I just have the \u201cnooo-you-are-not-as-stupid-as-that\u201d sort of look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, let\u2019s examine the various evidence I have encountered in the nine hours since the dawn of today. Take the supermarket, for instance. I was there to pick up an item. You\u2019d think the express lane, with its big sign that reads \u201c10 items or less,\u201d is self-explanatory. Yet, here come \u201cMr & Mrs Bull-Head\u201d with a trolley full of groceries, confidently pushing through. \u201cOh, I didn\u2019t see the sign,\u201d they say. Really? Did you not see the sign, or did you just forget to pack your common sense this morning? Which, of course, we know is hogwash!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the classic corporate scenario. You\u2019re in a meeting, discussing the latest project, and there\u2019s always that one person who suggests something so impractical, it makes you question their sanity. \u201cWhat if we just did the entire project in one day?\u201d they propose, as if we all have secret superpowers we\u2019ve been hiding. Thanks, Jo\u00e3o, but unless we\u2019re secretly time travellers, that\u2019s not going to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, don\u2019t get me started on driving or the zebra crossing. I firmly believe that the road is the ultimate testing ground for common sense, and it\u2019s a test many fail spectacularly, leaving my eyes wide as saucers. There\u2019s always that one driver who believes the appropriate reaction to a yellow light or a pedestrian on a zebra crossing is to accelerate to light speed. I think a lot of people mentally contemplate murder when they drive in this town. Or the person who thinks indicators are optional, as if signalling their intentions would reveal national secrets. I\u2019m tempted to greet them as “Your Royal Devastatingness, do you have bail money?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, at home, the battle for common sense continues. Flatmates are a perfect case study. \u201cI left the milk out overnight. Is it still good?\u201d asks the person who apparently skipped the basic life skills class. I used to think there were some things we need not ask. Of all the stupid, bull-headed\u2014 Alas, I find myself saying very politely, \u201cNo, Ariel, it\u2019s not a new kind of yogurt; it\u2019s just spoiled milk.\u201d I don’t know how long I can keep my violent impulses in check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let\u2019s not forget about the perennial debate over expiration dates. \u201cIt\u2019s just a suggestion,\u201d they say, as they prepare to eat something that\u2019s been in the fridge since last Christmas. Spoiler alert: expiration dates are not the place to showcase your bohemian trait\u2014they mean something! I almost believe even the producers are not utterly truthful about them. And if you say that’s because I think too much about consumables like a mentally deficient sheep, I’m disowning all of you readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a student, I see this phenomenon in full swing every day. There\u2019s always that one person who tries to cram an entire semester\u2019s worth of information into one night. \u201cI\u2019ll just pull an all-nighter,\u201d they say, armed with energy drinks and false hope. The next day, they\u2019re a zombie, and the only thing they\u2019ve achieved is a caffeine overdose and a spectacular failure. We may even have to haul some of them out of the exam hall. What a shame!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, that student who believes the tech world is a joke. \u201cI don\u2019t need to back up my files,\u201d says the overconfident Millennial. Until their computer crashes and they lose everything. Common sense suggests regular backups, but that\u2019s just too much to ask in our world, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers aren\u2019t immune, either. \u201cLet\u2019s test this hypothesis by running the experiment just once,\u201d suggests the overconfident researcher. Brilliant idea\u2014except for the part where science requires replication. Now we\u2019re stuck with results as reliable as a politician\u2019s promise, which, of course, gets nobody anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, friends are a goldmine of common-sense faux pas. \u201cI\u2019ll just text my ex to see how they\u2019re doing,\u201d says the friend who apparently forgot the emotional rollercoaster of their breakup. Spoiler: IT NEVER ENDS WELL. Or the friend who thinks mixing all their leftover alcohol into one drink is a genius idea. \u201cIt\u2019s called a cocktail!\u201d No, it\u2019s called a disaster waiting to happen. Now, they\u2019ve begun to moan like a sickened cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even social media isn\u2019t safe from the common-sense vacuum. People share chain messages warning of non-existent dangers or post questionable \u201clife hacks\u201d that are more likely to result in a visit to the emergency room than a moment of convenience. \u201cRub mayonnaise on your scalp to promote hair growth!\u201d I desperately want to grow my edges, but, Sister, there\u2019s a limit to what my brain can permit. So, NO, Rapunzel, please don\u2019t. Your head is not a sandwich. Now, I am begging, common sense, where art thou? #sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the work-from-home scenario is equally ripe with examples. \u201cI can totally work in bed; it\u2019s basically the same thing, right?\u201d says the person who ends up napping more than working. Productivity falls headlong, and they wonder why they didn\u2019t get anything done. Common sense would have suggested a desk, but who listens to that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here\u2019s my hypothesis: Common sense is like Wi-Fi. Some people have it, some don\u2019t. Some people may have to tap from others, and in the process, the signal just goes missing altogether or they fail to connect to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, so that you are not overwhelmed with shock, like I have been, the next time someone does something that makes you question humanity, remember that they might just be missing their Wi-Fi. Don\u2019t be mad, just be tired and have your \u201cnooo-you-are-not-as-stupid-as-that\u201d kind of look. It really saves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, to those 10% of adults who possess this rare trait, thank you for holding the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your bemused observer of the adult world,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did you read the previous post on Raguel the guardian angel? If not, you can follow the link here https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/raguel-my-guardian-angel\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adulthood is supposed to be 90% common sense, our everyday is full of the absurdities of grown-up life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dear-diary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1058"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1059,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oluabikoye.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}