Trainer reveals why Gen Z lacks ‘common sense’ and it's not their fault

There is an endless list of blaming games where Gen Z is the target. Whether it’s finances, lifestyles, morals, or anything else, the younger adults are being held as the problem makers. However, there are so many other serious and impactful factors that have forced them to resort to their current state. A trainer named Grace McCarrick, who teaches soft skills and how to manage corporate and work relationships, shared another blame — “Gen Z doesn’t have common sense.” She shared her perspective on how Gen Z is getting caught up in the web of today’s dynamics and then being labeled as senseless or unskilled. 

McCarrick revealed that she was in a meeting with executives from the food industry and was speaking about how to work with Gen Z. Undoubtedly, she must have received complaints or worries, and so many claims from the audience. However, there was a perspective she wanted to share. “Here’s the thing they don’t understand about Gen Z — They don’t have the same norms as any other generation,” she noted. This, she pointed out, was due to two reasons. The first factor she highlighted was that “in the 90s, parents stopped parenting other people’s kids.”

Sharing a stark example, McCarrick explained how back in the days, if you walked into a church or formal, respected place with a cap on, someone would either tell you to take it off or do it for you. Even if not accompanied by a parent, the child would be guided as to what the correct thing to do was. It’s not the same anymore. Others are no longer bothered or observant of what another's kid is doing. It’s a sort of “to each their own” philosophy being followed. So, whatever this generation knows is what they learned at home or from their own primary sources. The trainer noted that the problem here is that the human brain cannot grasp things well with limited exposure. 

The brain needs reinforcement from different sources to really have something drilled inside it. The second reason McCarrick shared was that Gen Z doesn't know “who to model from.” On the other hand, young adults who are trying to figure out corporate life have so many sources. The internet, the online community, and even those present physically. They are confused about whose footsteps to follow and what the better choice for them is. These two aspects, according to the trainer, are what hold back “common sense” in Gen Z. But the woman pointed out that it’s not so much “common sense” but rather norms and learning.

It’s not that Gen Z is stupid; it’s just that they didn’t have enough productive resources to learn from, but at the same time were confused with a whole lot of hollow ones. According to Psychology Today, therapist Reid J. Diatzman also agreed that common sense is learned. He noted that everything that we call common sense is often an opinion or a belief, and it is often approved of or trusted because it is scientifically or socially valid. Sharing an instance, he noted how people know not to get into cars with strangers because there’s a valid need for safety in that. He also noted that common sense is not intuition. It is acquired through external sources and keeps changing based on several factors. 

“When you’re in your 40s, these things seem like common sense,” she explained. So many people think it’s common sense to have these habits or morals or values, but they have to be learned; they don’t just appear. It feels like it’s a default because older generations have been practising it for so many years, but to those who have just got in, they have no background or context. Seeing this perspective made the internet consider open-mindedness. @jamie.glowacki said, “This entirely explains people having no village now.” @qzen.dj said, “As someone who's lived in varied cultures, I've come to know that there's no ‘common sense’ without common understanding. You're spot on!” 

You can follow Grace McCarrick on Instagram for more content on soft skills and corporate life.

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