| It is my perception that common sense and self-control are not only becoming less common, but people are actually being encouraged to abandon such concepts altogether by certain sources.
Common sense, self-control, willpower, and let me throw in wisdom too. They all take an effort to learn, develope and maintain just like a physical muscle. Therefore, the less it is used then weaker it becomes.
Not unlike water I believe people have a tendency to follow the path of least resistance/effort until they are presented with a good enough reason to do otherwise. That is why it is critical to find a way to inspire a positive reaction toward developing those skills. Toward that end it is really beneficial to have some source of information (person/book/etc.) to help you get going in the right direction, but in the end it really takes a conscious choice to pursue. |