Champions for Common Sense

The simple rock-paper-scissors game is made of elements with purely obvious qualities.  One can live their life believing in magic as the cause for all that occurs, or that an invisible entity is the actor in every event rather than objects relating to themselves or us to the environment. It is difficult to believe that no matter what is ascribed as the cause or agent of the effect, that ordinary observation of the world around us should fail to teach obvious truths. What the effect is attributed to does not modify the actual manifestation but may be an argument of semantics. How can anyone possibly avoid such realizations?

Water is wet. We may only know certain truths which are unchanging or follow specific known rules.  We cannot guess with absolute certainty how any being or device capable of individual unconstrained thought might react.  Humans have free will. While psychologists hope to define absolutely how people act and why, they are not as certain in all situations as they claim to be, an ordinary person has even less hope of similar understanding.  Devices which have software have defined limits and even in situations where they can make decisions, the range or depth is necessarily abbreviated.  Even though there may be a small subset of truths which could be defined for people or "thinking" devices, it is often best to assume they will not act as desired and so create a solution which avoids those unknowns.

Wind blows. A perfectly tuned tool will work more efficiently than one that is less suitable for its task.  A sharp knife is preferred when cutting foods for three reasons: less exertion will be required since it should cleave the two pieces more easily, the cut will be more precise and smooth, and should the worst outcome occur, an injury is more cleanly sewn and healed for the same reason.  A screwdriver or wrench which more exactly matches the object to be tightened or loosened will slip less and the task will be a more continuous action with much less chance for damage to the affected part(s) or operator.  A square peg best fits a square hole, as does a round peg match a round hole, so forcing either into the other hole is contrary to obvious design.

Fire burns. Items have mass, volume, density.  It is certainly easy to take some of the obvious truths in the world as combinations for other truths.  The invisible force gravity with mass make weight, how can anyone dispute that some objects in this world may be heavier or lighter than others? A container can only hold its volume, when it is surpassed the contents overflow or the container reacts until its ultimate limit is reached. Who has not overfilled a balloon or bucket?  Any of various types of wood float in water but those less dense float nearer the surface. Compare cork or balsa wood to oak or pine, equal volumes of each will also have different mass.  A piece of wood will float while a coin (necessarily metal) would sink in water. Changing the density of the fluid from ordinary water to honey or heavily salted water, will affect the results.  Has no one poured a syrup into a glass of water or milk to see the syrup collect upon the bottom?

Scissors cut paper. A direct path between locations will be the shortest route to take.  The shortest path is generally traversed the quickest, there will be less time or opportunity for trouble.  If moving something between locations is inherently complicated for any reason, if a smaller distance or duration is more closely related to successful traversal, wouldn't the least distance be the best choice?  If the desired outcome is reduced efficiency, a circuitous route may be best.  If the shorter path is more dangerous then a longer more scenic route may be preferred.  Only where complexity is required should complexity be used, otherwise simpler solutions are usually better.  All facets of the desired outcome should match the method used to reach it, especially when in complete control over the design of the technique employed.

Rock breaks scissors. In no way can a disordered collection of anything be an efficient method to handle different items as a group by all those who must interact with them.  Each item may have its own distinct qualities.  Any one item in the group may be more desirable than the others. The different characteristics of each individual item may conflict with the others or not react the same as the rest when the group is subjected to the same conditions. The chaotic jumble requires possibly careful sorting or sifting in order to obtain any certain desired item.  Rarely if ever do all of these disparate disconnected elements get massed together without intervention which means that during the process of collection there is necessarily an opportunity to organize them in some way.  The items could be sorted, separated, or assembled into one unit if they are components of one unit.

Paper covers rock. Those of us who are not blind to the obvious nature of the world around them may feel a need, compelled to combat all thought or actions which are incongruous to it.  We Champions for common sense have an insurmountable task always at hand: to restore or counter the "dissipation" of obvious truth.  Fighting against the actions of those who do things in a counter-intuitive way, who use methods contrary to their stated goal, who ignore the reality of the obvious nature of the world.  We yell into a hurricane of disorder, chaos, and incongruity, hoping to be heard.

Are you one of the "unfortunate" Champions or do you sleep-walk apathetically?