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Stupid by definition refers to someone who lacks intellectual acuity. Common sense on the other hand refers to someones judgment or lack thereof.

I have known many very brilliant people who didn't seem to have the common sense of a flea. They could name every river in the U.S. according to size and State. They had an incredible grasp of politics or world events, yet they didn't seem to understand that walking in a dark park, in downtown New York city, with gold rings and a Cartier watch flashing, holding a wad of cash, would very likely lead them to being mugged or murdered. That is an extreme example, yet very fitting for some of my acquaintances.

Common sense can be learned as can any behavior through repetition and memorization but for the most part you are inherently blessed with it or your not. It has little if nothing to do with intellectual ability, but rather an inability to rationalize cause and effect from a personal vantage point. The behavior itself could probably be described as being stupid, but not the person themselves.

We seem to have corrupted the English language to the point where the true meaning of words has become secondary to the slang inference, however to my way of thinking stupidity and lack of common sense rarely go hand in hand. Most people display a healthy combination of both intellect and common sense, but I'm alway amused by the dichotomy of those who swing one way or the other. One can only hope that stupid really isn't as stupid does, for that attitude would surely tar ninety percent of our society as mindless idiots.

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