Commodity Quote by Rene Descartes
“Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Treatise, 1641
People over they are well‑supplied with common sense, but it is actually scarce.
In simple terms: Common sense is overestimated.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about others' wisdom.
Themes
cognition
overconfidence
humility
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
advisory
When to use this quote
- education
- leadership
- team building
Key Concepts
philosophy
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you assume others understand?
- How do you verify knowledge?
A Different Perspective
Assuming competence can cause misjudgments.
![“[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)
