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The only census of the senses, so far as I am aware, that…

“The only census of the senses, so far as I am aware, that ever before made them more than five, was the Irishman's reckoning of seven senses. I presume the Irishman's seventh sense was common sense; and I believe that the possession of that virtue by my countrymen-I speak as an Irishman.” quote by Lord Kelvin
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“The only census of the senses, so far as I am aware, that ever before made them more than five, was the Irishman's reckoning of seven senses. I presume the Irishman's seventh sense was common sense; and I believe that the possession of that virtue by my countrymen-I speak as an Irishman.”

Lord Kelvin

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author humorously expands the traditional five senses to seven, suggesting common sense as the seventh.

In simple terms: The seven senses include common sense.

Key Takeaway

Value common sense as a guiding sense.

Themes

perception humor philosophy

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical humorous

When to use this quote

  • education
  • decision making
  • creative brainstorming
  • critical analysis

Key Concepts

sensory expansion cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

  • When does common sense fail?
  • How can we balance intuition with evidence?
A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on “common sense” may ignore nuanced data.

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