The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

**Frank Ettin** · February 27, 2008, 08:48 PM

If you don't acquire common sense through training and practice, how do you acquire it? What is it, and how do you know if you have it? How will common sense help you to know when to use your weapon (has proposed by BreacherUp!)? How will common sense tell you when you must shoot (as proposed by kgpcr)?

It seems to me that common sense in this context is a pretty amorphous and borderline meaningless concept. Among other things, if you are being asked why you shot, you're going to need to come up with a better answer than, "It was common sense to shoot him."

And sometimes it sounds like the professed reliance on common sense is an excuse to not bother with training.

February 27, 2008, 08:48 PM	#28
Frank Ettin Staff Join Date: November 23, 2005 Location: California - San Francisco Posts: 9,471	If you don't acquire common sense through training and practice, how do you acquire it? What is it, and how do you know if you have it? How will common sense help you to know when to use your weapon (has proposed by BreacherUp!)? How will common sense tell you when you must shoot (as proposed by kgpcr)? It seems to me that common sense in this context is a pretty amorphous and borderline meaningless concept. Among other things, if you are being asked why you shot, you're going to need to come up with a better answer than, "It was common sense to shoot him." And sometimes it sounds like the professed reliance on common sense is an excuse to not bother with training.