I Don't Understand: Common Sense and the Common Man

Years ago an employer of mine was sharing his opinion of happiness with me. He believed that there was a finite amount of happiness in the world that was shared by all people. In his viewpoint, married couples appeared to be receiving less than their fair share of happiness, leaving more to the rest of the population. Therefore, as a single man, it was his duty to get as many people as possible to wed so that he would get a bigger piece of the Happiness Pie. Assuming that his premise was correct, I couldn't fault his logic. It made sense.

Then he went and got himself married.

I don't know about his theory regarding happiness, but on many occasions I have had cause to wonder if something similar is happening with common sense. It seems the more people we have on this planet, the less they are able to utilize normal logical reasoning faculties. I have a few examples below that help to prove my thesis.

I don't understand why people tout the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, yet jog in the street, against the lights, during rush-hour traffic.

I don't understand why people fight so hard to preach the gospel of tolerance and diversity, yet are completely intolerant of any viewpoint that doesn't exactly line up with their own.

I don't understand why people fight so hard to act like adults as children, yet act so much like children as adults.

I don't understand why people promote the benefits of a good education, yet won't finance the education that is supposed to be so beneficial.

I don't understand why people surf the Internet to thoroughly research the latest fad, yet forward spam email about known hoaxes to all their friends because "it's better to be safe than sorry."

I don't understand why people claim to be pro-choice, yet become angry when a woman chooses to carry a baby to term rather than have an abortion.

I don't understand why people refuse to lift a hand to help their fellow man, yet expect their fellow man to help them out any time they want it.

I don't understand why people ask for my expert opinion on computer support issues, yet refuse to heed my advice and complain later that what they tried didn't work after I already explained that it wouldn't.

I don't understand why people claim to believe in evolution and "survival of the fittest", yet work themselves into a frenzy and start crying "Save the planet!" when a species is about to become extinct because it couldn't adapt to changes in its environment.

I don't understand why people denounce religion as archaic and irrelevant, yet cry out to God during times of tragedy.

What's the solution? If my former employer's theory is correct, then in order for people to gain common sense, we would need to have fewer people. Well, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. I'm not volunteering to give up my spot on this earth so somebody else can take my share of common sense. That just wouldn't make sense.