Common sense always speaks too late. Common sense is the guy who tells you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front end this week. Common sense is the Monday morning quarterback who could have won the ball game if he had been on the team. But he never is. He's high up in the stands with a flask on his hip. Common sense is the little man in a gray suit who never makes a mistake in addition. But it's always somebody else's money he's adding up.

Summary

This quote emphasizes that common sense often comes too late in situations, offering advice or solutions after the fact. It portrays common sense as the voice of reason that tells individuals what they should have done before negative consequences arise. However, common sense is depicted as an elusive figure, always absent when it could truly make an impact. Instead, it is portrayed as a bystander, observing from a distance and never taking responsibility. The quote also implies that common sense is reliable in matters that do not directly affect one's own interests or finances.

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