Why Common Sense Isn't Common

Common Sense or Power Move? The One Question That Reveals the DifferenceHost Leslie Poston argues that “common sense” is often used to end conversations and universalize one person’s perception rather than provide evidence. She explains this through naïve realism (people experience their perceptions as objective reality), embodied cognition (gut intuitions shaped by bodily and lived experience), and positionality (social location shapes what becomes perceptually salient). She cites the “WEIRD” problem in psychology showing many supposedly universal findings don’t generalize across cultures, and connects “common sense” to Gramsci’s hegemony, where dominant-group assumptions become normalized as natural and inevitable. Without endorsing relativism, she notes motivated reasoning can make conclusions feel obvious before scrutiny. She closes with a practical test for sussing out “common sense” claims.00:00 Common Sense Setup02:04 Obvious as Default03:27 Naive Realism Lens06:17 Embodied Intuition08:28 Positional Blind Spots10:04 WEIRD Not Universal14:08 Common Sense as Power17:16 Not Relativism18:03 Motivated Reasoning20:10 One Key Question21:13 Practical Takeaways23:56 Closing and Next Week ★ Support this podcast ★