Study would reveal supply of common sense dwindling in America

Every so often, some prestigious institution, after spending prodigious amounts of money, makes, what they feel, is a revolutionary pronouncement.

Some facts that have come to light after long and expensive research studies reveal that men and women approach problems in different ways, women executives doing the same work as men receive less remuneration, and women who work and have families put in 1½ times as many hours per week as their husbands. Is any of this a surprise?

Even my Mom who never went to college had figured out that honey and lemon was just as effective for a sore throat as the expensive cough syrups. (Consumer Reports just published an article on a study which verified that).

I have never understood why we need teams of researchers, interviewing hundreds of people or a cross section of a multitude of focus groups to find out why pre-made hamburger patties outsell plain chopped meat. Four women could interrupt their bridge game long enough to give you the answer, “Pre-made patties are quicker and easier.”

Much of what the “experts” eventually discover is a plain as the nose on your face, to begin with.

Is common sense such a rarity that we must supplement it with weighty facts and costly studies?

Also beyond my comprehension, is why nowadays we need celebrities to promote absolutely, everything. Banana Republic has come out with a line of clothing inspired by the “Mad Men” television series. Elizabeth Taylor, the first to use her name to promote perfume, has been followed by Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. Are we unable to judge anything on its own merits anymore?

Must it have a logo or be “endorsed by” in order to have value? The faces of the Hollywood elite are featured in the ads of the fashion magazines and the movie magazines report on who was wearing what designer fashion, where.

Do we rely too much on the opinions of others instead of making the necessary effort to think for ourselves? Robert Todd Carroll in his illuminating book, “Becoming a Critical Thinker” says, “When we are thinking critically, we are using our knowledge and intelligence effectively to arrive at the most reasonable and justifiable position, possible.”

If we become lazy about forming our own opinion on everyday objects that we purchase, how are we to ponder the many more complex issues that face our country today? When so many experts told us that bank deregulation and sub-prime mortgages were safe and would stimulate growth and now were proved wrong, how to distinguish between expertise that is biased and that which is more likely to be correct?

David Freedman, a professor of statistics at the University of California and author of “Wrong,” a book about why experts keep failing us, says that it is important for us not to surrender our own judgment just because an expert projects tremendous confidence. He says that you can find data to support many different conclusions, and that some experts discard data that doesn’t fit with the conclusion they were after.

Accurate information is only as accurate as the source, and many economists are now on the payroll of the large banks, and doctors sit on the boards of drug companies. We need to seek alternative views and to have a healthy skepticism.

In these days when our government seems so ineffective and people are both scared and angry, we should be especially careful to weigh all the facts and not jump to conclusions. We do not make good judgments when terrified or angry. Given an expert who equivocates on some things and one who is dramatically certain, we choose the one with conviction because we like the promise of big, dramatic change.

Clarence Darrow said, “Delusions are always more alluring than facts.” We sorely need citizens and politicians who will thoughtfully question all values and opinions and make decisions only after careful consideration. A good place to start might be less time spent on pleasurable distractions and a little more on serious reflection.

- Article by Jean Cherni, founder of the retirement advisory service, Senior Living Solutions. Contact her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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