Find Common Sense Fast. Here’s How.
Common sense is in short supply, it’s often quite uncommon. Has this happened to you?
We ask a question and the person answers a different question.
Of course this has happened to you. To all of us. And of course, it is the signature trick of seasoned politicians. What is going on, though, when it is not intentional? What question are they answering anyway?
The other question is the one on his or her mind so ask it and hear more.
That’s right, it’s that other question, the one we did not ask, that gets the other person going. He or she makes sense of the moment by answering that question, so ask it and explore it.
Ask the question that was answered and explore how it fits into the conversation.
There is it. That’s the trick. As we continue to ask questions, we attempt to find the questions that are not asked but get answered anyway. Those questions help us understand where the other person is coming from. We find understanding this way, and that mutual understanding will lead to common sense. Or at least, an awareness of how our sense of things is really quite different from the other person’s way of making sense.
Two thumbs up on this post! I thoroughly enjoyed it. You’ve succinctly shared a very valuable reality of life: common sense isn’t common. The experience of making sense is common, but the “what” of making sense – the conclusion, the content – differs significantly between people. Your tip for using questions to understand context is great. Today was my first visit to your blog and I will definitely be back.