Abstract: In this article the authors analyze the problem of common mind functioning in a post-traditional society. Common mind is a mode of mind specialized for a stable, slowly changing environment. This mode of mind uses intuition as its primary decision-making tool. Its intuition is based on precedents. A precedent in this context is a combination of a typical problem situation and its acceptable solution. There are different levels of precedents. We single out the following levels: individual psychological precedents, ontogenetic precedents, social psychological precedents and phylogenetic precedents. This classification is based on the speed of precedent formation. Such a two-layer structure of human precedent memory significantly enhances environmental adaptation: the biological layer provides adaptation to the most stable environmental conditions, whereas the psychological layer allows to adapt rapidly to emerging quick changes. Nowadays, however, social environment does not change at a relatively slow pace as it used to. Due to historic time acceleration, experience transition, selection and stereotyping are hindered. This deprives precedent-based common mind intuition of its regulative function as the gap between old precedents and new conditions widens. Adequate response strategies have no time to form in common mind: rapid changes of social environment make them outdated and inefficient before they are even ready to be adopted. We call such a drastically changing social environment “post-traditional”: it evolves so quickly that precise experience succession becomes impossible. Common mind displays inefficiency at creating adequate adaptation strategies in these new conditions. It leads to anthropogenic environmental risks. This is reflected in a “risk society” sociological concept.