Some things that one would think are obvious are not obvious. In another Fluther question about fast food, some people were of the opinion that Chipotle was a healthier choice than other fast food options. It was common sense, I’m sure – the ingredients are sourced more naturally, aren’t the ubiquitous fatty burger patty, more focused on fresh ingredients, etc. Surely Chipotle is healthy, they reasoned.
However, Chipotle isn’t necessarily healthy. It can be just as caloric and fatty as the food at any other fast-food joint.
“Common sense” leads different people to different conclusions, not all of which are true. This is another example of common sense gone awry – many thought it was obvious that a cold baked potato left in foil wouldn’t hurt you to eat, as long as it’s not moldy. It’s not meat, so it should be OK, common sense says. But a little research shows that it’s very Not OK to eat it, and could make you very sick.
That is why we need warning labels on some things. The dangers that are obvious to (the general you) are not obvious to everybody else. Sure, we could teach people the dangers of eating fatty Chipotle food or eating cold baked potatoes or smoking cigarettes the hard way – by watching many people die doing it. However, if we can cut to the chase by applying a few lines of warning label to a product, doesn’t that seem like a more humane thing to do?