Common sense is the intellectual framework of people’s comfort zones and conscious intelligence. It establishes the functional myths that apply to specific fields of action and prevents people from venturing into unfamiliar territories. Common sense also defines the reasoning structure of an individual’s comfort zone.

Different comfort zones use different structures of common sense. This means that to teach something new, when there is a need to store it in long-term memory, it is needed to make it perceivable through common sense. One has learned something new when it has been installed in the common sense of individuals; therefore, it is part of their comfort zone.

It’s the kind of practical knowledge and understanding that helps you navigate everyday situations in a reasonable and safe way. Here’s a breakdown of what common sense involves:

• Knowledge: This refers to basic facts and understanding of the world around you. For instance, knowing that fire is hot is common sense.
• Judgment: This is the ability to use your knowledge to make functional decisions. Common sense helps you assess situations and choose the best course of action.
• Practicality: Common sense is about applying one’s knowledge and judgment to real-world situations. It’s about knowing what to do and how to do it in a way that gets positive results.

Common sense is often seen as something that’s universally understood, but it varies depending on culture and individual background. What might be considered common sense in one place might not be the same in another.

Common Sense is a Framework

• Common sense as a framework: common sense is a foundational framework that guides how we use our conscious intelligence. It provides a set of basic assumptions and principles that help us navigate everyday situations effectively.
• Functional myths: These “myths” aren’t false, but rather simplified models of the world that work well enough for common situations. For example, the common-sense notion that the world is flat is a functional myth for most day-to-day activities.
• Avoiding the unknown: Common sense act as a barrier to venturing into the unknown. It can make us hesitant to explore new ideas or situations that fall outside the boundaries of our established framework.

Overall, your idea of common sense as a framework for conscious intelligence with its functional myths highlights the role of common sense in shaping our decision-making processes while acknowledging its potential limitations.

Common Sense and Comfort Zones

There is a link between common sense and our comfort zone. Common sense helps us navigate familiar situations and make quick decisions based on past experiences. The comfort zone encompasses things we are familiar with and can handle easily. So, common sense essentially defines the framework of the “reasoning structure” of our comfort zone.

Learning and Expanding the Comfort Zone:

• To truly learn something new, it needs to be integrated into our long-term memory and become part of our common sense. This allows us to use the new information effortlessly, similar to how we use existing common sense in our comfort zone.

Teaching and Common Sense:

• Effective teaching strategies have to consider a learner’s existing common sense. By building on what the learner already knows and making connections to their existing knowledge base, we can make new information easier to integrate into their long-term memory and ultimately their common sense.

Expanding the Comfort Zone:

• While common sense defines our comfort zone, it’s important to remember that the comfort zone can be expanded. By actively seeking to learn new things and challenging ourselves, we can gradually build new knowledge and experiences that become part of our common sense, expanding our comfort zone in the process.

There is an interplay between common sense, the comfort zone, and learning. Understanding this connection can help us develop better strategies for learning and expanding our knowledge base. By making new information relatable to our existing common sense, we can bridge the gap between the unfamiliar and the familiar, ultimately expanding our comfort zone and becoming more well-rounded individuals.

Unicist Constructivism is based on Common Sense

Constructivism is the simplest way to facilitate learning based on the use of the natural logic of individuals (commonsense). It allows enhancing the knowledge stored in the long-term memory which requires integrating the episodic, procedural, and semantic memories to make the knowledge meaningfully reusable.

Constructivism and Common Sense:

• Constructivism leverages the natural logic of individuals, which aligns with common sense. This learning theory emphasizes building knowledge on existing understanding, making it easier to grasp new concepts through the lens of familiar ones.

Enhancing Long-Term Memory:

• Constructivism aims to create a deeper understanding that goes beyond rote memorization. By actively engaging with information and making connections to prior knowledge, constructivism helps learners integrate new information into long-term memory for meaningful use.

Integration of Memory Types:

• Integrating episodic, procedural, and semantic memories is crucial.
  • Episodic memories (personal experiences) provide context and relevance.
  • Procedural memories (skills and procedures) allow applying knowledge practically.
  • Semantic memories (facts and concepts) form the foundation for understanding. Constructivism encourages using all these memory types to create a richer and more usable knowledge base in long-term memory.

Meaningful Reusability:

• A key aspect of long-term memory is the ability to retrieve and reuse information effectively. Constructivism, by focusing on deep understanding and connections, fosters this meaningful reusability. Learners can not only recall information but also apply it to new situations and solve problems.

The Benefits of Constructivism:

• By capitalizing on common sense and integrating different memory types, constructivism creates a learner-centered approach that promotes:
  • Deeper understanding and knowledge retention
  • Development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Increased motivation and engagement in learning

Conclusion

Constructivism offers a simple way to leverage common sense and existing knowledge to build a strong foundation for long-term memory. By integrating different memory types and fostering meaningful connections, constructivism empowers learners to not just store information but to truly understand and use it effectively.

You can learn how to manage the functionality of common sense by using the Multilingual Unicist Virtual Researcher

The Unicist Research Institute