Thomas Paine Called — America, We Need to Talk About Common Sense

Because Mr. Paine didn't almost die for this nonsense

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"These are the times that try men's souls." - Thomas Paine

If Thomas Paine had any "common sense," he would have kept his mouth shut. Before the American Revolution, dissing the king was a good way to find yourself swinging from the nearest gallows. But Paine was never one for self-preservation. On January 10, 1776, he published Common Sense —  a pamphlet so incendiary that he didn't even put his name on it.

Paine called it Common Sense because, to him, the idea of an island ruling a continent was as absurd as a "satellite larger than its primary planet." Monarchy, he argued, was not only unnatural but actively stupid.

Paine advocated for Revolution, self-governance, and reasoned argument. He didn't just scream, "We should dump the British because it's, like, duh…obvious!" He made the case with logic, evidence, and fiery persuasion.

And it worked. Paine's words spread faster than smallpox, carried from tavern to tavern, where ale-soaked patriots read it aloud to anyone within earshot. In its first three months, Common Sense sold 120,000 copies. By the end of the Revolution, 500,000 copies were sold — equivalent to 60 million copies today.

Before Common Sense, colonial discontent was a scattered mess — Boston was outraged about British soldiers, farmers fumed over frontier skirmishes, and merchants seethed at port closures. But Paine united these grievances into a singular, national outrage. By spring, the rebellion was no longer a Philadelphia thing, a Boston thing, a mercantile thing, or a disgruntled farmer thing — it was, for the first time, an American thing.

Today, Trump has rebranded common sense into a concept Paine would no longer recognize. As usual, there's a catchy slogan — "The Common Sense Agenda." Press him on immigration? Common sense tells him migrants are rapists and murderers, despite the crime data that shows migrants commit few crimes. What's with Trump's sudden bromance with Russia? It's because Putin shares his "Campaign motto of "COMMON SENSE." (Emphasis, not mine.) And when asked why he blamed diversity hires for the fatal plane crash over Reagan International Airport, Trump replied without skipping a beat, "Because I have common sense."

That was it. End of discussion. No proof. No data. Just the smug assurance of a man who has never let facts get in the way of a good fearmongering soundbite.

But if we could resurrect Thomas Paine and invite him for tea, he would have some choice words about how his legacy has been hijacked. Paine's Common Sense wasn't a lazy appeal to gut feelings. It was a radical, well-argued, 47–page manifesto that made the case against monarchy and blind obedience.

Paine used facts, logic, and moral reasoning to argue for independence. He didn't just say, "The King is bad because I feel like he is." He systematically dismantled the idea of hereditary rule, using history, philosophy, and economic realities to make his case.

If Paine had used Trumpian common sense, his pamphlet would have just been, "The King is a loser. Everyone knows it." And anyone who says differently? "Fake news!"

Oh, and we would probably still be British subjects.

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When Words (and Facts) Meant Something

Before we let Trump redefine common sense into just "stuff that sounds good to my supporters," let's remember where the phrase comes from.

The term originates from the Latin sēnsus commūnis, meaning shared perception — a way of collectively interpreting reality.

Aristotle saw it as the human ability to synthesize sensory information into rational thought. You hear hoofbeats? You assume a horse, not a unicorn. That's common sense.

Trump, however, hears hoofbeats and declares, "The radical left is hiding zebras in our suburbs!" Trump's version of common sense is less sensus communis, and more sensus bullshittus.

For Aristotle, common sense was about reason and careful judgment. For Trump, it's about weaponizing gut feelings to justify whatever he already believes.

See the difference?

Gramsci's Warning: Common Sense as a Control Mechanism

Fast-forward to the twentieth century when Antonio Gramsci had a chilling insight: more often than not, common sense is whatever the ruling class wants you to believe. It's a set of ideas repeated so frequently that people accept them without question. "Women belong at home." "Boys don't cry." "Trickle-down economics works." None of these generalizations are based on logic — they just feel true because they've been drilled into people's heads for generations.

And this is where Trump excels. He doesn't need to prove anything; he just needs to say it enough times. Immigrants are criminals. The election was rigged. Climate change is a hoax. No studies, no data, just the confidence of a man who treats facts like side dishes—optional.

This tactic isn't new. Throughout history, every authoritarian has understood the power of simplistic, emotionally charged rhetoric. Mussolini told Italians that the train schedules were proof of fascism's success. Stalin convinced millions that any problem in the Soviet Union was due to sabotage, never policy failure. And let's not forget the big lie – a propaganda technique Hitler coined in Mein Kampf. (Although Plato had dibs first.) Invent an outrageous lie, repeat it enough times, and people will start to believe it like it's just common sense.

Trump's common sense follows the same pattern. He's not offering reasoned arguments; he's offering slogans that make his followers feel right, even when they are demonstrably wrong. Trump uses common sense as a rhetorical escape hatch — something to say when he has no answer or to shut down a debate. It's about conformity and believing whatever he says without asking inconvenient questions or thinking too hard.

Paine's common sense was the opposite. It was revolutionary  because it urged people to challenge authority and hierarchal systems. It wasn’t about gut feelings or bumper-sticker wisdom. It was about reason, evidence, and the self-evident truths that empower the people against tyranny.

Paine fought to free people from a monarchy. Trump wants to crown himself king of feels-over-facts governance.

It's almost as if Trump doesn't know that trying to suppress true common sense didn't end well for the last king.

Carlyn Beccia is an award-winning author and illustrator of 13 books. Subscribe to Conversations with Carlyn for free content every Wednesday, or become a paid subscriber to get the juicy stuff on Sundays.