“A sense of humor is just common sense dancing.”

— William James

Last update Oct. 29, 2021. History

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William James 246

American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist 1842–1910

Clive James (1939–2019) Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet, translator and memoirist

“Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing. Those who lack humour are without judgement and should be trusted with nothing.”

Clive James (1939–2019) Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet, translator and memoirist

Essays and reviews, Clive James On Television (1991)

“Science is just common sense continually improving itself, rebuilding itself, until it is no longer recognizable as common sense”

Alexander Rosenberg (1946) American philosopher

The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Context: There is, however, a much more convincing argument that needs to be put on the table before we really begin turning common sense upside down. It is the overwhelming reason to prefer science to ordinary beliefs, common sense, and direct experience. Science is just common sense continually improving itself, rebuilding itself, until it is no longer recognizable as common sense. It is easy to miss this fact about science without studying a lot of history of science—and not the stories about science, but the succession of actual scientific theories and how common sense was both their mother and their midwife.