When Do People Gain Common Sense?

It’s a question I find myself asking often: When do people gain common sense?

The truth is, there isn’t a magic age when it suddenly appears. Some people develop it young—maybe life required them to pay attention, adapt quickly, and learn from experience. Others can go decades without sharpening that skill, either because they were sheltered, stubborn, or simply never practiced connecting the dots.

To me, common sense is really lived wisdom:

It grows when you pay attention. It strengthens when you take responsibility. It deepens when you reflect on your choices (and on the choices of others).

But here’s the catch—not everyone chooses to use it. Some stop at surface-level thinking, caught up in ego, excuses, or avoidance. That’s why you can find a 20-year-old with remarkable common sense, and a 60-year-old who still doesn’t get it.

So maybe the answer is this: people gain common sense when they’re willing to learn from experience, instead of repeating the same mistakes or leaning on others to think for them.

🌻 My question for you is: When did you realize your common sense kicked in?