Azure Wings Café

Common sense is not so common. But you know what else is not so common?

In a world where common sense is always defined to be one that is common to the person speaking, or expecting. In other words, it is something that is known to be beneficial to the person declaring the commonness of something: it is good for that person. Ironically, common sense, in this sense, did not promote what everyone would expect to be "common": the common good.

Common good, defined, is good that is beneficial for everyone, such as social stability, freedom from disease and other health hazards and financial stability. Unfortunately, the common good is also not so common. We, especially those who "live the good life" can only see the good for them, and not necessarily good for others. So again, ironically, those who serve to promote common good do not realize the value of common good.

Deep in the story of this "apparent goodness" is a vice: selfishness. We know that something that is bad cannot promote good, and thus apparently good. Contrasting now this vice with the virtue of common good, we can therefore say that common good is promoted through something different, something like unselfishness. The ability to give what is good to others in need of it is indeed something good.

To do good, and not to lose something, is probably not doing good. Take for example the act of giving only spare change to those who truly (I repeat, truly) need it is not losing something that is good to the person giving, and thus it is not that good. It may good, in one way or another, but the feeling of doing something wholly good and the act of sacrifice is not present. Thus, it becomes nothing but a meaningless act. If it is good for the receiver and not good for the giver, then it is certainly not common good.

In a world that has only excess to give away, very rarely can we find true common good, and thus it is uncommon. The reasoning presented here may leave you thinking and somehow not convinced, but the point of this is not to convince, but to make room for thought.