Rethinking “Common Sense” with Buddy the Elf

Every holiday season, I crack up rewatching the Will Ferrell movie Elf. After growing up surrounded by Santa’s elves, Buddy the Elf discovers he has a human father living in New York City and sets out to find him. Buddy’s adventures in New York lead to a series of hilarious mishaps, such as when Buddy spots a raccoon in the snow and assumes it’s friendly—only to be snarled at and attacked. Buddy’s reaction? “I just wanted a hug!”

Buddy’s words and deeds are funny because they’re so unlike what we, the viewers, would say and do. We know that “candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup” are not the main food groups that comprise a healthy diet. When Buddy is told to “lose the tights as soon as possible,” we understand that this instruction does not mean that Buddy should remove his tights in that exact moment, in front of everyone.

Some might say that Buddy consistently demonstrates a lack of common sense. But what does that really mean?

What is Common Sense?

Have you ever blamed something that happened on lack of common sense? This is often said when someone did not respond or act in an average, standard, normative, expected, typical manner—like Buddy. But while Buddy’s behavior doesn’t make sense to us, it’s perfectly logical given his background. In Buddy’s world, all animals are friendly, syrup on spaghetti is a normal meal, and instructions are taken literally.

Would it be fair to blame Buddy for his actions? I don’t think so. But in workplace investigations, we often jump to similar conclusions when employees make mistakes. Instead of asking why they acted as they did, we point the finger at their “lack of common sense.” When we say common sense, we mean the ability to use basic knowledge to navigate everyday scenarios. But if you don’t have “basic” knowledge, you can’t apply it.

Common Sense Isn’t Always Common Knowledge

At work, defining what is and isn’t common sense becomes much more complex. What’s common sense in your company might not be common sense for a new hire. What’s common sense in your role may not be common sense in another business area. And of course, what’ s common sense for a subject-matter expert usually isn’t common sense for the rest of us! Yet, safety professionals often rely on employees to use common sense to “recognize all hazards present for themselves and others,” and are surprised when an incident occurs.

Santa told Buddy, “Don’t eat yellow snow.” Seems like common sense to me, but for Buddy, it was new information. Ask yourself, what is the equivalent to “don’t eat yellow snow” that your company hasn’t communicated?

What constitutes common sense is based on your own perspective. So, when you develop procedures, job aids, and training programs, remember that what seems obvious to you may not be obvious to others.

In fact, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your team this holiday season is to stop using the phrase “common sense” at work altogether. This label is vague, and using it often leads to hindsight bias and blame. Instead, focus on providing details and context to ensure everyone understands not just what’s expected, but why it matters.