Common Sense Blunders

Common Sense: Before the scientific era, common sense dictated that the Earth was the center of the universe because it appears that the sun, stars, and planets revolve around the Earth. Truth: The heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus and later refined by Galileo and Kepler, established that the Earth and other planets orbit the sun, contradicting the geocentric view that was intuitive to most observers.
Common Sense: Common sense might suggest that exposing yourself to cold weather can cause a cold. Truth: Colds are caused by viruses, not cold weather. While cold weather might correlate with an increase in colds, it’s primarily because people spend more time indoors in close contact with others who can transmit viruses.
Common Sense: It might seem logical to assume that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic bags because they are made from natural materials and are biodegradable. Truth: Life cycle assessments show that paper bags require more energy and water to produce, contribute significantly to air and water pollution, and have a larger carbon footprint than plastic bags when considering the entire lifecycle of the product.

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Provide 5 cases in different domains of knowledge in which “common sense” ran counter to truth.

Certainly! Here are five examples from different domains where common sense beliefs have been contradicted by scientific or empirical evidence:

Astronomy:
Common Sense: Before the scientific era, common sense dictated that the Earth was the center of the universe because it appears that the sun, stars, and planets revolve around the Earth.
Truth: The heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus and later refined by Galileo and Kepler, established that the Earth and other planets orbit the sun, contradicting the geocentric view that was intuitive to most observers.
Health and Medicine:
Common Sense: Common sense might suggest that exposing yourself to cold weather can cause a cold.
Truth: Colds are caused by viruses, not cold weather. While cold weather might correlate with an increase in colds, it’s primarily because people spend more time indoors in close contact with others who can transmit viruses.
Economics:
Common Sense: A common sense approach might lead one to think that during economic downturns, austerity measures (cutting public spending) are necessary to save money and recover the economy.
Truth: Economic studies and historical data suggest that austerity can actually exacerbate economic problems by reducing demand and slowing down recovery. Economists argue for increased spending (stimulus) during downturns to boost economic activities.
Physics:
Common Sense: Common sense may tell us that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones because they appear more “forceful” when dropped.
Truth: Galileo’s experiments demonstrated that in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. This was a revolutionary idea contrary to the then-common Aristotelian belief.
Environmental Science:
Common Sense: It might seem logical to assume that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic bags because they are made from natural materials and are biodegradable.
Truth: Life cycle assessments show that paper bags require more energy and water to produce, contribute significantly to air and water pollution, and have a larger carbon footprint than plastic bags when considering the entire lifecycle of the product.

These examples illustrate how intuitive or “common sense” views can often be misleading and how empirical evidence and scientific inquiry are essential for uncovering the truth.

Geography: Common sense might suggest the Earth is flat, especially when looking out at a seemingly endless plain. However, science has proven the Earth is a sphere https://crosstalk.cell.com/blog/seven-ways-to-prove-earth-is-round.
Physics: It might seem logical that hot water takes longer to freeze than cold water. However, under certain conditions, hot water can actually freeze faster due to a phenomenon called the Mpemba effect https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/07/mpemba-effect-hot-water-freezes-fast/661525/.
Biology: Ostriches are often depicted burying their heads in the sand to hide from danger. In reality, ostriches lie down with their necks flat on the ground, which can make it look like their head is buried. They do this to regulate their body temperature https://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/z/2020/03/11/truth-or-tail-do-ostriches-really-bury-their-head-in-the-sand-when-scared-or-frightened.
Economics: Common sense might tell you that lowering interest rates will always make borrowing cheaper. However, in some cases, lowering interest rates can lead to a decrease in the money supply, making it harder to borrow money and even driving interest rates up https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_thrift.
Psychology: You might think powering through work without breaks is the most productive approach. However, taking short breaks throughout the day can actually improve focus, memory, and overall productivity https://hbr.org/2023/05/how-to-take-better-breaks-at-work-according-to-research.

List the common sources of common sense errors.

Common sense errors often arise from cognitive biases, flawed reasoning processes, or limited perception. Here are some of the typical sources that contribute to these errors, including legitimate inductive inference, errors in probability assessments, and emotional salience:

Heuristic Overreliance:
- Definition: Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help people make quick decisions. While often useful, they can lead to systematic errors.
- Impact: People might overly rely on simple rules of thumb such as “like goes with like” or “if it happened before, it will happen again,” which can oversimplify complex decisions and lead to erroneous conclusions.
Legitimate Inductive Inference:
- Definition: Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations. While a legitimate method of reasoning, it can lead to errors when the observed cases are not representative of the general case.
- Impact: Common sense might dictate that what is true for several observed instances will be true for all similar instances, which can be misleading if the sample is biased or too small.
Errors in Probability Assessment:
- Definition: Humans often struggle with assessing probabilities accurately, especially in complex situations.
- Impact: Common errors include the gambler’s fallacy (believing past events affect the probability of something happening in the future), misunderstanding the law of large numbers, and ignoring base rate information (failing to consider prior probability of an event).
Confirmation Bias:
- Definition: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
- Impact: This can lead individuals to give more weight to evidence that confirms their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them, perpetuating common sense errors.
Emotional Salience:
- Definition: Emotionally significant events or information are more likely to be remembered and considered than those that are neutral.
- Impact: This can skew reasoning processes, making people overestimate the likelihood of dramatic or emotionally charged outcomes (e.g., plane crashes) while underestimating more mundane risks (e.g., car accidents).
Anchoring Effect:
- Definition: People tend to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they hear (the “anchor”) when making decisions.
- Impact: Once an anchor is set, subsequent judgments are made by adjusting away from that anchor, and there is a bias toward interpreting other information around the anchor.
Availability Heuristic:
- Definition: People judge the probability of events by the ease with which examples come to mind.
- Impact: If a particular type of event has been widely reported in the media, people may believe it is more common than it actually is.
Status Quo Bias:
- Definition: The preference to keep things the same or maintaining a previous decision.
- Impact: This can lead to common sense errors where individuals assume that things should stay the same because they have always been that way, often ignoring new evidence or changing conditions that warrant a different approach.

These sources highlight the variety of ways in which common sense can lead to incorrect judgments or decisions, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and empirical validation in various domains.

Sure, here are the common sources of common sense errors:

Legitimate inductive inference: Drawing conclusions from limited observations that may not hold true in all cases. This is a common way that people learn about the world around them. However, it can lead to errors if the observations are not representative of the whole population or if there are other factors that are not being considered. For example, a child might observe that every time it rains, the puddles get bigger. They might then infer that the rain makes the puddles bigger. However, this is not always the case. Rain can also evaporate or soak into the ground.
Errors in probability assessments: Overestimating or underestimating the likelihood of events. This can be caused by a number of factors, including our own personal experiences, the media we consume, and the way that information is presented to us. For example, people are more likely to be afraid of flying than they are of being struck by lightning, even though lightning is actually more likely. This is because plane crashes are more widely reported in the media than lightning strikes.
Emotional salience: Placing greater weight on information that evokes strong emotions. This can lead us to believe things that are not true, or to make decisions that are not in our best interests. For example, people are more likely to believe information that is presented in a fear-inducing way. This is because emotions can hijack our rational thinking.
Confirmation bias: We tend to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This can lead us to cling to false ideas even when presented with evidence to the contrary.
Availability bias: We judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily we can recall examples of it. This can be misleading, as some events are simply more memorable than others, regardless of their actual frequency.
Cultural bias: Our cultural background shapes our understanding of the world and can lead to misunderstandings. What seems like common sense in one culture might not be true in another.
Language limitations: Language can sometimes restrict how we think about the world. For example, the phrase “common sense” itself implies that there’s a universally agreed-upon set of truths, which isn’t always the case.

Provide a cognitive process we can use to ensure what we perceive as commonsensical is actually true.

To ensure that what we perceive as commonsensical is actually true, it’s important to implement a rigorous cognitive process that can critically assess and validate our assumptions. Here’s a structured approach you can use:

1. Question Initial Assumptions

Reflect: Begin by questioning the assumptions underlying your commonsense belief. Ask yourself what assumptions are being made and why do you believe them to be true?
Challenge: Consider alternative perspectives or scenarios. What evidence supports these assumptions? Could the opposite be true?

2. Seek Diverse Perspectives

Consult: Talk to people with different backgrounds, educations, and life experiences to gain alternative viewpoints.
Read: Look for credible sources that challenge or support your belief. Scholarly articles, reputable news sources, and expert opinions can provide insights that differ from initial assumptions.

3. Use Critical Thinking Techniques

Apply Logical Reasoning: Use formal logic to test whether the belief logically follows from the initial assumptions. Identify any logical fallacies or biases that might affect reasoning.
Test Hypotheses: Formulate hypotheses based on your commonsense belief and think of ways you could empirically test them.

4. Employ Scientific Methods

Experimentation: Where possible, design and conduct experiments to test the validity of your commonsense belief. Controlled experiments can provide concrete evidence about the truth of a belief.
Observation and Data Analysis: Collect data through observation or existing sources. Use statistical methods to analyze the data to avoid biases in how the data is interpreted.

5. Consider Probabilities and Alternatives

Assess Probabilities: Use probability assessments to evaluate the likelihood of different outcomes or the truth of various statements. This helps in understanding the risks associated with certain beliefs.
Think in Terms of Risk and Reward: Evaluate the potential risks and rewards of a belief being true or false. This can provide practical reasons for whether or not to hold onto a belief.

6. Integrate Feedback Loops

Iterative Feedback: Regularly update your beliefs based on new evidence or feedback from the environment. This iterative process is crucial in adapting to new information or contexts.
Error Correction: Be open to recognizing and correcting errors in your thinking process. Acknowledge when a belief is disproven and adjust your views accordingly.

7. Use Metacognitive Strategies

Reflect on Thinking Process: Regularly reflect on your own thinking process. Consider whether you are being unduly influenced by emotions or biases.
Engage in Mindfulness and Awareness Practices: Mindfulness can increase your awareness of your thought processes and help mitigate the impact of biases on your beliefs.

Conclusion

By applying these cognitive and methodological tools, you can more reliably verify whether commonsensical beliefs are actually true. This approach not only helps in challenging potentially flawed intuitions but also promotes a more thoughtful, informed, and rational understanding of the world.

Here’s a cognitive process you can use to challenge common sense assumptions and get closer to the truth:

Question your initial assumptions: When you encounter something that seems like common sense, take a moment to acknowledge it as an assumption, not a proven fact.
Seek evidence: Look for data, research, and expert opinions on the topic. Reliable sources like scientific studies, peer-reviewed journals, and reputable news outlets can offer evidence to support or refute your initial belief.
Consider alternative explanations: Don’t stop at the first piece of evidence that confirms your initial thought. Actively seek out explanations that contradict your common sense idea. This helps avoid confirmation bias.
Evaluate the source: Critically analyze the information you find. Is the source credible? Is there a potential bias present?
Context matters: Consider the specific context of the situation. What might be true in one scenario might not hold up in another.
Be open to updating your beliefs: New information and evidence can change what we know about the world. Be prepared to adjust your beliefs based on what you learn.

Remember: This process takes time and effort. But by actively questioning common sense and seeking evidence, you can develop a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the world.

Create an 8-item quiz on the entire thread above.

Quiz: Evaluating Common Sense and Cognitive Processes

Questions

What historical model of the universe suggested that Earth is at the center?
What does the heliocentric model propose?
True or False: Exposure to cold weather is directly responsible for causing colds.
Who demonstrated through experiments that all objects fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance?
Which type of reasoning involves making generalizations from specific observations?
What bias involves favoring information that confirms previously existing beliefs?
According to life cycle assessments, which type of bag generally has a larger carbon footprint: paper or plastic?
Which cognitive strategy involves using formal logic to test assumptions and identify logical fallacies?

Answers

Geocentric model
The Earth and other planets orbit the sun
False
Galileo
Inductive reasoning
Confirmation bias
Paper bags
Use Critical Thinking Techniques

Common Sense Quiz

What is the term used to describe drawing conclusions from limited observations that may not be universally true?
People are more likely to be afraid of flying than being struck by lightning, even though lightning is actually more dangerous. This is an example of what source of common sense error?
Which cognitive bias describes our tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs?
What is the process where hot water can actually freeze faster than cold water under certain conditions?
In what domain of knowledge might you encounter the “Mpemba effect” mentioned in question 4?
Our cultural background can influence what we consider common sense. This is an example of what factor potentially leading to common sense errors?
When evaluating information to assess its validity, what’s an important step to consider?
When encountering something that seems like common sense, what’s the first step in a cognitive process to ensure its truth?

Answers:

Legitimate inductive inference
Errors in probability assessments
Confirmation bias
Mpemba effect
Physics
Cultural bias
Evaluate the source (credibility and potential bias)
Question your initial assumptions

Provide 15 discussion questions relevant to the content above.

How did the shift from the geocentric to the heliocentric model impact our understanding of the universe? Discuss the scientific and philosophical implications.
Evaluate the role of empirical evidence in debunking common sense views. Provide examples from astronomy and physics to support your points.
Discuss how confirmation bias and availability heuristic can lead to misconceptions in everyday thinking. Can you identify these biases in your own life?
In what ways do emotional salience and the anchoring effect skew our perception of risk? Use examples from health and environmental science.
How can critical thinking techniques be applied to prevent errors in judgment that arise from heuristic overreliance?
Explore the potential dangers of using heuristic-based decision making in critical fields such as medicine and law.
Discuss the statement: “All beliefs should be subject to scientific testing.” Are there any beliefs that should be exempt from this scrutiny?
Consider the impacts of the status quo bias in social and political contexts. How can societies overcome this bias to foster innovation and progress?
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of inductive reasoning as a method of inquiry. When is it most reliable, and when might it lead to errors?
How can the use of scientific methods in everyday decision making improve individual and societal outcomes?
What are the ethical considerations involved in experimental testing on human subjects when trying to validate common sense beliefs?
Discuss the challenges of designing experiments to test common sense beliefs. Provide an example of how one might design an experiment to test a common belief.
How can mindfulness and awareness practices help in reducing cognitive biases? Provide practical examples of how one might implement these practices.
Explore the role of probability assessments in economic decision making. How might misjudgments in this area impact economic policies?
Discuss the implications of error correction and feedback loops in the scientific process. How do these concepts apply to other fields such as business or politics?

Discussion Questions on Common Sense and Truth:

Can common sense ever be a reliable source of knowledge? Why or why not?
Have you ever encountered a situation where “common sense” led you astray? How did you figure out the truth?
How can we educate others to be more critical of their own common sense assumptions?
Do you think technology and access to information make common sense errors less likely today? Why or why not?
In what situations is it most important to question common sense beliefs?
Should decision-making rely more on established knowledge (facts, research) or common sense? Why?
How can our emotions cloud our judgment and make us believe things that aren’t true, even if they seem like common sense?
Can cultural differences lead to misunderstandings related to common sense? Provide examples.
Imagine a world where everyone had exactly the same common sense understanding. Would this be beneficial or detrimental?
Discuss the limitations of language in accurately representing the complexities of the world and how it can influence common sense.
How can confirmation bias distort our perception of what’s “common sense”?
Is there a danger in completely dismissing common sense in favor of scientific evidence? Why or why not?
How can we strike a balance between respecting traditional knowledge and embracing new discoveries that may challenge common sense?
Do you think some areas of life are more reliant on common sense than others? Provide examples.
Imagine creating a “common sense filter” for information. What challenges would this present?