Common sense Quote by René Descartes
““Common sense is the best distributed commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Discourse on the Method, 1637
Common sense is widely believed to be abundant, yet many people overestimate their own rational capacity.
In simple terms: People think they have enough common sense, but often they don’t.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about your own judgment.
Themes
self‑awareness
humility
critical thinking
knowledge
Mood
reflective
skeptical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- decision making
- education
- leadership
- public discourse
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify your own assumptions?
- When should you seek expert advice?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on “common sense” can ignore expert insight.
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
![“And what more am I? I look for aid to the imagination. [But how mistakenly!] I am not that assemblage of limbs we call the human body; I am not a subtle penetrating air distributed throughout all these members; I am not a wind, a fire, a vapor, a breath or anything at all that I can image. I am…” quote by René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/207/ren-descartes-1376_human-body_and-what-more-am-i-i-look-for-aid-to-the_115493.jpg)
