Street Smarts Versus Book Smarts

[azngi16]

In the battle between street smarts versus book smart. Who'd win? What do street smart people know that book smart people don't and vice versa? I guess I was sheltered most of my childhood. So I'm far from being street smarts. I see people as people and that most people are kinda like me. I'm honest in almost everything I do. I don't have anything to hide, I'm not ashamed of anything. So guys /and gals. If you're street smart, what's your model of reality. Your modus operandi. And if you're book smart, how do you see yourself against someone who's more streetsmart in your personal life and workplace.

 

Evolutionary psychology is a fascination subject. Feel free to post on this topic as well.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

I see people as people and that most people are kinda like me. I'm honest in almost everything I do. I don't have anything to hide, I'm not ashamed of anything.

 

That doesn't mean you are not street smart. Being street start doesn't have to mean that you distrust people, hide things and are ashamed. Being street smart means that you can evaluate situations that arise and that you have the know how to be cautious and protect yourself without being closed off. Being street smart means that you are aware of your surroundings and don't live in a bubble. All too often people associate "street smart" with the scoundrels of the world, the ones who take advantage of others, swindle others, bully others to get what they want, manipulate others etc. That is not street smart, that is just being selfish, greedy and nasty...and plenty of book smart people are that way as well.

[_Asti_]

We generally say its more of a book smart and a life smart.

 

In my family, my sister is book smart, and I would say I'm more street/life smart.

 

She's brilliant and got amazing grades in school, was very focused and driven and still is.

But for the life of her she cannot turn on a stove, can't figure out how to do laundry [still] she lacks the common sense to do the day to day things of life!

 

We joke and say "How can someone so smart..be so dumb!'

 

Thats how we view book smart vs street/life smart.

 

She can navigate her way through a textbook, but she certainly can't figure out how to run a house!

[Hermes]

Well said, CAD. That sums it up. It is possible to have book learning and also be street-wise. Some people are more "together" than others, I suppose.

 

Hermes

[Vince99]

I have both, and if I had to choose just one to keep, I'd lose the books.

[Amore]

My ex used to say something like "When people say they don't have book smarts but have street smarts, all I hear is 'I don't have good grades but I have the common sense that 99% of people have.'" I've always seen street smarts in this light, too. Street smarts, to me, are things like don't get into a car with a complete stranger, don't leave your drink unattended at a party, etc. basically common sense knowledge regarding safety. You don't have to have had a tough childhood to know these things.

[LivingToday]

The street smart person is engaged in the battle, the book smart person averted the battle from the start.

[Jeen]

Evolutionary psychology is a fascination subject. Feel free to post on this topic as well.

 

 

 

Evolutionary Psychology

A branch of psychology, unwittingly inspired by Charles Darwin and Rudyard Kipling, that describes how we behave through made up stores that guess why we had to behave. In this case, the stories are about what traits our ancestors had to evolve 250,000 years ago to survive. At that time, Mother Nature or evolution was especially demanding, and selected those behavioral traits that permitted survival, much like a mom selects out table manners in her kids. Since all the evidence of this selection process has been washed away in the sands of time, this provides a wonderful opportunity for psychologists to act like trial lawyers, and fabricate evidence and design in tightly spinning plots that would do Agatha Christie proud. Evolutionary psychologists provide 'just so' stories to explain everything about human behavor, and all without the troublesome need to assemble proof. Thus, according to EP, we can run fast because our ancestors had to escape cave bears, got smart because they had to know where the cave bears were, and got sexy because they could rescue cave babes from the cave bears.

 

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[Creative]

I'm still having a little trouble with the definition of street smart. Book smart is obviously about academic standing and are well read.

 

I also see myself as being honest, but my academic standing was around a B-, but I'm well read. So is that still book smart?

 

For me, there's a little bit of a dynamic at play here. My field is in science, so obviously you need to know enough knowledge to give people the confidence that what you say is correct.

So if a street smart but not book smart guy tries to make claims, I would immediately be able to pick that up and have accurate assessment of how much they know.

 

So I think to some extent, street smart who are not also book smart - within a specific field - will come accross as a BSer.

Usually, I would claim to know nothing about the topic, and then have people perform. This helps me assess where everyone is at. If, say, a person have no knowledge in a specific field and he/she tells people they don't know and asks question (thus risking their reputation), I'll have a good impression about the person. But if that person's main purpose for doing something that seemed honest is to make a good impression, I'll also be able to pick that up.

And then you have the 'in the field' type, who are experienced in dealing with people's skeptism & questions. They know extremely surface knowledge and give a default answer that either they or the industry created that are neither accurate or inaccurate but gives you a favorable impression of them. If you're not knowledgeable in that industry, you may get tricked by their answer. But if you're knowledgeable, you'll realize their answer didn't actually provide accuracy OR they replicated an accurate answer from comrades. So probing further would reveal their true nature. Or if I've already figured it out, then it's a good idea to not probe any further but make note on your mind that this person isn't the person to look for.

 

Again, I don't actually know a solid definition of what street smart is, but I'm merely describing someone who is not book smart but experienced.

[aurevoir]

I am street smart. Im also book smart, but i am more street smart.

[Dako]

I think those two categories are an artificial division of a vast continuum of intelligence. Drug dealers study economics texts or Machiavelli, car repo men delve into piles of auto manuals and machine tools. By the same token I've seen complete idiots bully their way into corporate positions by political schemes. People adapt to life using all the tools at their disposal.

 

I had long talks with a guy who taught high school classes at Attica prison. He saw street-smarts as just adapting to environment. In the case of college students, they leave the environment they adapted to.

[lavenderdove]

It's not an either/or argument. Many very well educated people are also very savvy and have lived hard lives in their own childhood homes or on the streets.

 

We all have strengths and weaknesses, and more importantly, blind spots. The people who do best in navigating life's changes are those who are always learning, always looking around and trying to analyze what is going on, learning new skills to keep them up to date, never getting complacent or taking anything at face value, always investigating. So flexibility and willingness to keep an open mind and adapt and do/learn what it takes is really what makes people succeed, not book smarts vs. street smarts.

[OntheWire]

I think it's just another way to word wisdom vs knowledge. They're both important and they compliment each other well.

[Anthropic]

Book smart = intelligence

Street smart = wisdom

 

Aha, I just read OntheWire's post, yeah, what he said.

[WomanWriter]

I guess I'm more book smart than street smart. I used to make 4.0 GPAs consistently, and tutor others, but when it comes to life, I suck.

 

I can show you how to write an excellent resume--what to include, how to format it, and what terminology to use--but don't ask me how to get a job because I freeze when I make phone calls or interview.

 

I can show you how to read or study better. I can even help you with science, history, or math (as long as it's not super advanced). I can think critically, am analytical, can evaluate things well and am quite reflective. I'm intuitive, a good listener, and have a lot of patience for some things...

 

but I will cry at the drop of a dime if someone hurts my feelings. I become stressed and depressed quite easily. I avoid loud teenagers and arguments. I am often overly passive and, hence, irritable. I am also self-indulgent, dependent, and anxious.

 

I could tell you a lot of useless facts. I could also counsel you if I knew you and was comfortable with you. I could help you develop a plan and could encourage you. I would help you with your cooking, watch your kids, and help teach a class.

 

But if someone broke into my house, I'd scream and hide.

 

I wish I had better street smarts. My book knowledge doesn't go too far.

[sff123]

i feel like your goals would be different and your skills would be more related to your goals and in that sense 'everybody wins' or at least everyone competes against their peers

[blackdog280]

People with street smarts expect things to be handed to them but a person with book smarts actually use that to get what they want.

[Go Habs Go]

To me, street smarts is the ability to read people, evaluate situations, and make sound decisions. The thing I've noticed with book and street smarts is very few people have both. Most of the very intelligent, book smart people I have met have little to no common sense. On the other hand, most of the street smart people I have come accross are not very book smart and do/did not receive good grades in school.

[thathoopla]

I'd rather define street smarts vs. book smarts, instead, as intelligence vs. knowledge.

 

Book-smart people may know facts, formulas, theories and ways of communicating through literacy. Intelligence, though, is much more dimensional than knowing; it's being able to apply knowledge and/or human intuitiveness in the appropriate circumstances.

 

However, I know that when people mean "street smarts", they're talking about nonverbal behaviours, slang, popular culture, being aware of one's surroundings, being able to be safe and get out of bad situations, and so on.

[Hermes]

To me, street smarts is the ability to read people, evaluate situations, and make sound decisions

 

I think it's just another way to word wisdom vs knowledge. They're both important and they compliment each other well.

 

I think (hope) I have a nice balance of both. I can do the things WomanWriter mentions above in her post, but I rarely cry, do not get depressed or stressed, certainly not dependent, and have a fair measure of physical courage.

 

I think what Lavender says makes sense. It is not an either/or.

 

IMO it comes down to nature/nurture.

 

Hermes

[Creative]

I'd rather define street smarts vs. book smarts, instead, as intelligence vs. knowledge.

 

Book-smart people may know facts, formulas, theories and ways of communicating through literacy. Intelligence, though, is much more dimensional than knowing; it's being able to apply knowledge and/or human intuitiveness in the appropriate circumstances.

 

However, I know that when people mean "street smarts", they're talking about nonverbal behaviours, slang, popular culture, being aware of one's surroundings, being able to be safe and get out of bad situations, and so on.

 

Interesting you categorized the bolded part as being part of book smart.

 

So in your opinion, the more intuitive the more book smart, the less intuitive the more they tend to be street smart?

 

interesting....

[thathoopla]

Interesting you categorized the bolded part as being part of book smart.

 

So in your opinion, the more intuitive the more book smart, the less intuitive the more they tend to be street smart?

 

interesting....

 

Err, no. The bolded is intelligence/street smarts.

[Creative]

Err, no. The bolded is intelligence/street smarts.

 

Oh i see. Skimmed through the message too quickly. I actually agree with my first interpretation of your message.

 

Reason why I find it interesting is because intuitive people are statistically prone to get higher grades. Hence, book smart. I thought you were making a leap.

[thathoopla]

Oh i see. Skimmed through the message too quickly. I actually agree with my first interpretation of your message.

 

Reason why I find it interesting is because intuitive people are statistically prone to get higher grades. Hence, book smart. I thought you were making a leap.

I was writing about life-intuitiveness. Books can never teach you that alone.

[Creative]

I was writing about life-intuitiveness. Books can never teach you that alone.

 

yes I know what you mean.

 

There's only 1 meaning to intuitive, and that is to sense without solid evidence.

 

They did studies to measure intuitiveness of people, and then took students' score and correlated them with grades.

Students who scored high on intuitiveness gets higher grades.

 

Basically what I'm saying is, in reality, book smart people tends to also be intuitive. If the definition of street smart encompasses intuitive, then logic can do the rest.

 

It's possible that there are more non-book smart people who are also not street smart than book smart people who are not street smart. Confusing, but I hope you get the hypothesis.