Lack of Common Sense ...

I would say I do lack common sense on certain things that I should know by now. I see this more now that I am older and it makes me feel less than. Because I don't have the 'street smarts' attitude or personality, I've always felt the need to hide who I am around certain people.

Hi rukspc, I'd say that everyone is going to have strengths and weaknesses. And lacking "common sense" in some areas certainly doesn't make you "less than". I'm sure you have got other good qualities about you that maybe some people with common sense/street smarts don't have as much of. Qualities that matter.
So do you think it might help you to focus on/value them in yourself a bit more??
Still, the "street smarts"..........if having less of those is leading you to be hurt in some situations/a real problem...........then it might seem like they're something that come naturally to people. but not always necessarily.
And there will be things that can be picked up on. So maybe checking out, reflecting on other people's experiences and learning from them might help a bit??
But if that's an area you still struggle with..........well plenty of room in this world for all sorts of personalities and there will be a lot more to you than having less "street smarts".
So just try to be yourself as much as you can, hey? Try not to deprive you or others of that.

Alison

Common sense is a wide concept. Maybe we need to narrow it down some.

If I look at myself and my friend we both lack common sense but in different ways. She seems to have a 6th sense about people that I lack, she is not even normally suspicious, it's like she is a mind reader sometimes with others. Myself, I'm gullible as heck. I have to make an effort to understand people are capable of lying and stealing.

But she lacks something I take for granted, knowing cause and effect. Like, if she buys new shoes she will not be able to pay a bill. For me that is simple. She still doesn't seem to connect that what she does now will cause problems in the future.

Then there are simple things I never learned, like making coffee. I mean, who can't make coffee?

Also, systems that have the slightest complexity might trip me up. I can handle standing in line and for goods. Simple. But here you might have to purchase a card or token for some goods like cigs which you then go use in some machine. I'm glad I'm not a smoker, I'm lost when they mess things up like that.

There are things I should know by now about how people work. There are things I should know how society works. And other systems. And those dang coffee makers.

But us who are lost with the big picture tend to be really good at some areas. I wouldn't want to lose that just to be fairly good at "everything". If others want to look down on me, fine. That would be immaturity on their part.

I hang out with people who are everything than average. They have some strong and some really weak sides. It makes life interesting. I wouldn't have it any other way.