The difference between Knowledge and Common Sense can be defined within their relative contexts. Knowledge can be accumulated over a period of time. Throughout our lives, we never stop learning. Everyday can bring new and challenging situations into our lives and we have the potential to learn from these experiences. Common sense is an intuitive response. It is found in the ability to analyse a situation from the most logical perspective.

What is intelligence?:

Intelligence is our ability to perceive the world around us. Being able to use the intelligence we have been given can sometimes be seen as our ability to use our common sense - our most instinctive powers of reasoning. Intelligence and common sense are both a product of our evolving consciousness. This can be seen as a reflection of the collective conscious experience. Consciousness and intelligence are both one and the same. The extent to which someone uses their common sense depends on their state of awareness.

Conditioned experiences of intelligence:

From a very young age, we begin the life long process of learning. This begins within the family. With guidance from our parents, we learn the difference between right and wrong. As we learn, we are being conditioned with information that helps us to become familiar with what is accepted.

As soon as something becomes widely accepted, it becomes validated. This doesn't necessarily mean it is right as a consequence. What we value, can alter over time. Life is effectively conditioned by our own personal experiences which is why it is important to keep our perspectives open to change.

Interpreting knowledge:

The more experiences we have throughout life, the more we can potentially learn from them. It is not about how much knowledge we have gained. What matters is how we choose to interpret that knowledge for ourselves. What does it mean to you? We may not agree with everything we have been taught nor should we feel inclined to do so. Blind acceptance is not conducive to the creation of an inquiring mind. Analysis is an imperative if we are to form our own opinions and beliefs.

Common sense and awareness:

The more experiences we have, the easier it becomes to relate our knowledge to new situations. Common sense helps us to practically apply the knowledge we have. The more aware we are, the easier it will be to see the best solution. Even without many life experiences under our belt, it is still possible to approach situations from a practical perspective. Creativity, combined with a logical reasoning ability can become even more effective when it is channelled from a conscious perspective.