There is nothing more uncommon than common sense. — François de La Rochefoucauld

There is nothing more uncommon than common sense.

Author: François de La Rochefoucauld

Insight: We live in an age of information overload, yet somehow good judgment feels rarer than ever. Everyone has access to the same facts, the same advice, the same proven strategies for living well—and yet most of us struggle to actually apply them. We know we should sleep more, move our bodies, listen before speaking, save money for later. The advice is everywhere. What's missing isn't knowledge; it's the simple discipline to act on what we already understand. The real trick is that common sense requires something almost counterintuitive: the ability to step outside our own perspective long enough to see situations clearly. It means resisting the urge to be right, admitting when we're tired or emotional and shouldn't make a decision, choosing the boring option over the exciting one. These moves feel like they go against our nature because they do. Our brains are wired to rationalize, to take shortcuts, to want what we want right now. So La Rochefoucauld's observation still stings because it's true. Uncommon sense isn't rare because it's complicated or hidden. It's rare because it asks us to do something genuinely difficult: to think straight about our own lives, to be honest about our limits, and to act accordingly. That's harder than any skill we could learn.