Why is it that very academic people often seem to lack common sense?
350641
I think it has less to do with an academic lifestlye and more to do with a natural predisposition.\n\nMy IQ is >140, but sometimes I can be dumb as a stick! I think that our brains are just wired differently. We relate to the world differently, and things that are perfectly logical to us sometimes make no sense to anyone else. \n\nPlease don't think I'm an elitist, because I am most definitely not. But to me common sense refers to the perceived common knowledge or understanding of the average population, who comprise the majority. Because we are a minority group, our understanding of the world is uncommon and sometimes considered a flaw rather than just a difference.\n\nOf course, these are the kinds of people you will find in career academic and highly specialized professions because of their intelligence, but their apparent lack of common sense didn't "happen to them" as the result of a sheltered existence. It is just who they are.
334627
not all people who are educated do that but some people let that knowledge go to their head and think they are superior than everyone else.
133547
because of ignorant people
46450
...because they don't get a good education.
438434
It's possible to be so smart that simple things become difficult.  It's possible to be brilliant and have no common sense.  It's possible that ignorance is bliss.\n\nSide note:  God takes the simple things of this world to confound the wise, the Bible says. . .if that's true. . .wise people often make mountains out of molehills. . .or try.
493873
Yahoo Answers makes one sad fact abundantly clear: People do not like to think too hard.\n\nReeses Pieces, by the way.
131702
There are two schools of thought on the reason why:\n\n#1, and most popular with the intellectual elite, is that educated people become more liberal, that only the uneducated are conservative.\n\n#2 places the blame firmly on the 1960's, when people educated in college who later became teachers carried thier political views from that activist times into thier classrooms and are unable to reconcile thier difference.\n\nFor the most part, however, NO professor likes someone to contradict them, and claiming that the professor is a liberal and close minded are popular explanations for failing, rather than the rampant drinking and partying.
614055
As my mother says "Common sense has to be taught".  I disagree.  Common sense has a lot in common with instinct in animals. There is smart, then there is wise.  Having knowledge (book smarts) is one thing.  Having the wisdom to use that knowledge is a whole other story!  Common sense is the ability to see beyond yourself, gain knowledge, seeing a correlation between events, and use gained knowledge to reason out how to react to those events (driving comes to mind).  A surprising number of people lack this reasoning ability.  The result is thoughtless, inconciderate actions that hurt others.  This is true all over the world, not just in the US.  Lack of common sense is just a human condition.
159265
People who jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts.
783053
To a great extent it has to do with personal choice.  Mathmatics, physics, and hard sciences are all majors that require logical and critical thinking.  Journalism, liberal arts, and arts degrees can be achieved without such logical abilities.  So while a logical thinker could excel in any of these programs, they are more likely to find frustration being surrounded by those without their abilities.  Those without the capacity for logical thought cannot excel in the sciences.  I am sure I am going to get a lot of thumbs down for this from those unable to follow the simple logic.
436998
Yeah kinda normal. I have found that most of the truly smart people are a little messed up in the head. If you find that stuff funny you can't help it. The only time you have to worry is when you think of committing a deadly attack.
609243
Professors and teachers are usually liberal. I know this because I have several teachers in the family and know several who are liberal. They are liberal because they get paid more by the government to be so. \n\nJust because they go to college and have PHD doesn't mean they are common sense smarter. I heard one professor over the radio last week  talking about how white people can help the black people by committing suicide. He had written several books about it (which is why he was asked about it). He has taught in one college for over a decade. \n\nProfessors teach knowlege, their not even supposed to teach their opinions. But they do if they're liberal, conservitive teachers however, get fired if they do.\n\nExample: Look at Communism, theoredicly it makes sense, from what I've read of it. Historicly, it has always failed. People are greedy, which makes communism fail.\nProfessors learn alot about and teach alot of knowledge, they should leave it there.
412706
People tend to leap to an easy conclusion or rationale when they think they are unable to understand the theory or the topic.  This occurs when they don't want to be embarrassed or when they are being "cute" to cover up their self-doubts.
495355
I think some people are ignorant, period.  Regardless of nationality.  And by the way, what makes you such an expert?
83077
in general, yes most people are stupid.
369981
The kind of wrong answers that you get can be good indicators of where the students got things wrong. If the same misunderstanding or erroneous concept appears in a certain number of answers from different students, this could be indicating that the sources were not clear enough for them.
532350
It's because those people are too ignorant to even form a question.  Also, they believe so ardently that their opinions are correct, that they don't believe they need to question if they are correct.