Common sense atrophies during COVID

It shouldn’t be difficult to read the subtext when Gov. Ned Lamont says, “Use some common sense here; I can’t mandate common sense,” while he wears a mask in public. Of course, government mandates common sense all the time. It’s logical to wear seat belts, but we have laws to encourage people to strap in. Anyone should recognize the perils of texting while driving, but, yes, police can slap fines on anyone caught doing it.

Then again, we should have a law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. We don’t, and too many of them won’t.

The beauty of common sense is that it can be mastered by someone without schooling, and defied by intellectuals.

Parents offer the simplest common sense guidelines to help children navigate life, suggesting, “Close your eyes,” to go to sleep; “Eat,” if hungry; “Put on a jacket,” when it’s cold.

Common sense gets more sophisticated with passing years. “Be polite to the person preparing the food,” shouldn’t need to be said twice.

Then again, “Don’t share passwords,” only requires three words to explain a lesson many companies mandate training to reinforce every year. It’s akin to expressing “Happy New Year” with a Ken Burns documentary.

Imagine masters of common sense contemplating the modern resistance to mask-wearing and social distancing.

“Hmm, Plato, do you think they’ve figured out not to touch fire yet?”

“Given the empirical evidence, Aristotle, I’m not sure we can assume anything. So many won’t even dim headlights when another vehicle cometh.”

As that 20th century philosopher George Costanza bellowed on “Seinfeld,” “We’re living in a society! We're supposed to act in a civilized way!”

The new year unleashed pressure for Lamont to revive the indoor mask mandate. In early December, it seemed inevitable we would be visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (2020 model) as COVID numbers climbed after Thanksgiving gatherings.

In the final week of 2021, the COVID-19 positivity rate spiked from 15 percent to 18 percent to 20 percent over two days. The rise has since continued.

Lamont’s wariness of another mask mandate seems to be grounded in the reasoning that it’s wiser not to stir up resistance.

“I don’t want to put a lot of counter-pressures on and rebellion and people fighting back against it,’' Lamont said in Stamford Monday. “I prefer that everybody wear the mask when you’re indoors.”

Leaders in Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford went ahead with local mask mandates. Lamont’s next move will carry greater import than it should, given we’re now in an election year.

Another state mandate seems inevitable, and Republican wannabees shouldn’t be so quick to judge Lamont given that a GOP victory in November would likely leave the victor positioned to make similar decisions as the Ghost of Christmas Future approaches.

COVID isn’t going away anytime soon. The lessons of the last 22 months should be enough to ensure safe personal practices.

As the author of “Common Sense,” Thomas Paine, aptly wrote in that timeless essay in 1776, “Time makes more converts than reason.”

The beauty of common sense is that it can be mastered by someone without schooling, and defied by intellectuals.