I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how quickly we assume certain things are common.
Common sense, common knowledge, common business practices—but what does that even mean anymore? In a world where we are more digitally connected than ever, we are also more fragmented. What feels universal to us might be completely foreign to someone else, and that realization is something we need to sit with.
The Illusion of What’s "Normal"
Technology has created these micro-communities where we interact with people who think like us, work in the same industries, and share similar interests. It gives us a false sense of what’s "normal." Just because something is standard practice in one field or among a certain group of people doesn’t mean it carries over everywhere.
Take something as simple as a business practice. Recently, I wrote how being asked to do double opt-in confirmations for making e-introductions crossed a boundary. Someone responded that it’s a "common business practice." But I’ve been in business for 14 years, and it was the first time I’d heard of it. That moment made me realize—what’s common in one niche might be completely unheard of in another. Yet, we tend to believe that if we know something, surely everyone else does too.
The Generational Shift
This divide is even more evident across generations. Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers all had shared cultural touchpoints. We grew up with limited sources of media, a handful of celebrities, and a relatively uniform set of workplace expectations.
But Gen Z? Their experiences are hyper-curated. What they were exposed to depended largely on their parents, their personal online habits, and algorithms. There’s not the same kinds of defining cultural experiences that binds them all together the way previous generations had.
This is why generational assumptions are more ineffective than ever. We can’t assume that everyone within an age group shares the same references, values, or ways of working. The way Gen Z engages in the workforce will be shaped by their hyper-currated experiences more than simply generational trends.
Breaking the "Common" Mindset
We need to be aware of how often we assume that something is universal when it isn’t. Instead of:
"Everyone knows this."
"This is just how things are done."
"This is the right way."
We should be asking:
"Is this common, or just common to me?"
"How do I communicate this in a way that accounts for different perspectives?"
"What am I missing from my own experience?"
The Only Thing That’s Truly Common
At the end of the day, the only thing we can count on as being common is that we are all human with the same basic human needs. Beyond that, nothing really is shared. The world has become too varied, too customized, too nuanced. Instead of resisting that, we need to lean into it. Be curious. Ask questions. Recognize that the rules we live by aren’t universal and that people’s experiences—both personal and professional—are shaped by many unseen factors.
So next time you find yourself thinking, "Well, that’s just common sense," pause for a second. Is it? Or is it just what’s familiar to you?
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