"Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense"

This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson talks with the concept that society is usually amazed when a person presents good sense. Common sense is specified as sound reasoning or sensible understanding, and it is something that is often taken for granted. Emerson is suggesting that society is so used to individuals not making use of sound judgment that when somebody does, it is viewed as a shock. This can be interpreted as an objection of culture, as it suggests that common sense is not the standard. It could also be viewed as a phone call to action, encouraging individuals to make use of common sense regularly. Eventually, this quote is a suggestion that sound judgment should be valued and also utilized more frequently in society.