Where Is Common Sense?

Common sense is certainly lacking these days, especially with some public figures. Let me give three recent instances in which good judgment wasn’t used in the hope you and I will think before we speak or act.

In the first instance, Kate Middleton decided to sun herself while on holiday (as the Brits say) at a private estate in France. That’s fine, except she decided to go topless in what she thought was the privacy of this estate. As it turns out, a paparazzo with a powerful long distance lens got some fairly good shots of Kate’s exposed bosom. Common Sense Advice: never think you can’t be observed no matter where you are. Ordinary people are observed nearly everywhere by surveillance cameras. Think before you act.

The second instance also involved displaying royal private parts, this time it was Prince Harry. At some point during a party in the U.S., Harry dropped his drawers and somebody took a picture of the royal behind, much to his and the Queen’s embarrassment. Common Sense Advice: there’s always somebody around with a camera (including mobile devices) who is willing to use it to embarrass you no matter who you are. Another piece of advice: keep your clothes on. They don’t call them “private parts” for nothing.

In the third instance, presidential candidate Mitt Romney made some comments to what he thought was a private and exclusive group of supporters. Unfortunately for him, there was a “mole” implanted among these supporters who recorded Mitt’s unfortunate choice of comments. Common Sense Advice: never say (or do) something you don’t want the rest of the world to hear, see, or know about. Nothing can be kept secret for long, especially with social media and ubiquitous cameras. Another piece of advice: get your facts straight before opening your mouth, especially if you are in the public eye.