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The reasonable man or reasonable person standard is a legal fiction that originated in the development of the common law. The "reasonable person" is a hypothetical, rational, intelligent individual who is intended to represent a sort of "average" citizen. The ability of this hypothetical individual to understand matters is consulted in the process of making decisions of law. The question, "How would a reasonable person act under the same or similar circumstances" performs a critical role in legal reasoning in areas such as negligence and contract law.