Book smart means that you have learned a lot from books, school, and college. Anyone can have street smarts, but not just anyone has the determination and drive to complete the school smarts. As pejoratives, the book smart is one who relies on structured knowledge and suck at real life naive, easily manipulated, bad judgment and the street smart is unintelligent or uneducated or incapable of being educated, hardboiled, unsentimental. Oct 20, 2015 a recent debate at the eastern correctional facility in new york between prison inmates and the harvard debate team had me questioning whether its better to have street smarts or book smarts. Both malcolm x, and gerald graff make very interesting points about street and book smarts. Intelligent people use their instincts more when they want to make decisions. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at. Without street smarts, you wont survive in the real world. If youve got one, getting the other will give you superpowers. In fact, the term common knowledge accurately describes exactly what the name indicates, that the knowledge is common amoung people, and that the common. One of the major differences between the two and ultimately why street smarts are in many ways more helpful than book smarts is that being street smarts gives you situational awareness. Theres book smart, there is street smart, theres relationship smart, theres too many different kinds of smarts to know all of them. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
In the end the book smart harvard debate team was defeated by the street smart prisoners. Just because youre book smart doesnt mean that you have street smarts. Here are 10 ways to tell you are more book smart than common sense smart. The major distinction between the two is who lies at the center of this knowledge. However, to amass a truly sizable personal fortune, youll probably need a large dose of street smarts as well. The combination of practical knowledge and explicit knowledge is the key to a successful career.
What is the difference between book smart and street smart. Brodsky shares his hardearned wisdom every month in inc. Some intelligent people are not educated to a higher level. Being street smart can lead to book smarts as the street smart sense what works and what doesnt, and adapt accordingly. Whenever someone says im not book smart, but im street. The youth made key distinctions between being book smart vs. Those who join the workforce at a younger age and in a more junior role are often much more street. Why street smarts always win out over book smarts when it. For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the. Street smart and book smart are two different types of intelligence. It has been proven that it is easier for a person to get a job when they have some sort of secondary education. Aug 12, 2007 i am by far the brightest, out of everyone i know, when it comes to street smarts. In general, it involves using common sense to stay savvy and safe in reallife or street situations. Street smarts vs book smarts, the epic debate continued.
I respect what graff, and x have to say and agree with them, both book and street smarts are very important. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment. Sep 08, 2016 business street smarts needed to take your business to the next level. Relying on theoretical knowledge all the time can lead up to disastrous consequences because a little pragmatism is always necessary to analyze your current. On this program we talk about words and expressions that we use in everyda. Book smarts are people who dedicate time to reading, have retentive or photographic memory to save whatever they read in a short time or put in extra effort in books academic materials most often to guarantee theoretical success and awesome documented result. It means that it enables you to observe and evaluate the situation or environment you are in. Book smarts enjoy the structure of the learning environment. Just to set an example in regardings to the topic, when the economy comes down to a threat where individuals will be drafted to war, street smarts will doubt less and think of strategies in order to survive through the battlefield,while on the other hand book smarts are hesitating about. In the article, hidden intellectualism, gerald graff discusses the topic of book smart versus street smart. The savviest parents know the difference between book and street smarts. Asked in relationships, iq, public speaking, plural nouns.
Intelligence means that you can adopt and grasp new concepts. Yes, people go to school to get educated, get all these fancy degrees and all that, gain knowledge about mathematics, science, biology, english, and other subjects, people have this perception that if they do not earn high marks. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words 3 pages. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an intellectual advantage over other forms of intellectualism. Apr 05, 2020 street smarts is a colloquial slang term referring to knowledge not obtained through higher learning or formal education but instead by practical life experience. Street smarts is a worthwhile business book, and i do recommend this book to anyone interested in entrepreneurial material, however the author played a bit of a deception in the reader. These two types of smarts are not mutually exclusive. What is the correlation between smarts and niceness answers. Whenever someone says i m not book smart, but im street smart, all i hear is im not real smart, but im imaginary smart. While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is. We all agree that being smart is better than being stupid. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom testing. Im going to guess, based on my own experiences, that it is pretty often. Simply put, a person who has book smarts is someone who is intelligent and.
Iq tests can account for only 4% of the variance in reallife job performance. I grew up disliking academics very much but didnt mind the street smarts i had gained. The difference between academic intelligence book smarts and practical intelligence street smarts was first define in terms of the tasks involved neisser, 1976. Some are some of the brainiest and most knowledgable people around. Street smarts are what a person learns through their personal endeavors whereas book smarts comes from a. Whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under. For the term smart i am referring to the combination of knowledge knowing something with familiarity gained through experience and intelligence the ability to apply why you have learned. Book smart or street smart who would be your choice.
Street smarts is experienced, book smarts is learned through books. If you are trying to ascertain the meaning of the question, it basically means, do you have more knowledge and wisdom about books. I think there is a difference between being book smart and street smart street smart is the only word i could come up with but it seems that some of the most intelligent people know only facts, but dont seem to have any common sense. Street smarts trump book smarts if you want to get seriously rich. Book smarts, as ive framed it, means someone who is good at following the rules. Adventures on the road and in the markets kindle edition by rogers, jim. When people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom. First, there is a common misconception that most people only have one or the other, and if you have both you are going places in the world. However, arnold puts up his bravado in front of his friends, claiming he held his own. The main distinction between the two is the difference between the sources of their knowledge.
Besides since i have book smarts i can just memorize what street smart characters do in books. Most people spend a small fortune on a college education for book smarts but when you get in the real world, you must also have street smarts. Its extremely tough to succeed without finding a balance between book smarts and street smarts. Because spanish is the official language of 21 countries, it was a bit difficult to choose one, but because i hope to travel here sometime within my high school experience, ive chosen the spanish. What is the difference between street smarts and book smarts. The author claims that people are better off if they are more street smart than book smart. Book smart people have a lot of general knowledge and do well at quizzes, but they might struggle with more complex ideas. However, the underlying idea is that the person deals with situations especially bad or difficult situations from an intellectual d. Having both types of smarts makes you just generally smart. To the youth, street smarts are more important because they are connected to being able to maneuver through structures in their lives such as poverty, the police, street culture, and abusive others. Most people who are street smart arent very book smart and vice versa. On the other hand, book smart people rely more on tried and tested strategies. The authors is very persuasive using real life examples. In fact, the combination of book smarts and street smarts is lethal.
Simply put, i am saying that street smarts are as equally as important in the world as book smarts. Using your intelligence effectively in college by frozenflan on january 31, 2014 its the question weve all had in our minds as. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. With conrad bain, gary coleman, todd bridges, danny cooksey. The reality is that they simply dont know what theyre not exposed to. Someone who is intelligent, learns well, and educated very well academically. When we explore this topic, we often think about the difference between those who do well in school and are labeled book smart versus those who may not do as well at school, but have a wealth of information pertaining to things outside of school that we typically identify as street smart. Growing up, i was very street smart but not so book smart. Theres money smart, theres movie smart, theres computer smart. May 23, 20 street smarts trump book smarts if you want to get seriously rich. They believe value lies in knowing things and reading things. Diffrent strokes street smarts tv episode 1985 imdb. Theres just too many different kinds of smarts for people to know all the smarts.
Education logic and common sense id rather have street smarts, intelligence, logic and common sense. Test your smarts with these savvy questions to find out if youre book smart or street smart. You need a combination of common sense and the ability to retain facts to be intelligent. Aug 27, 2015 in business, in sales, and in life, book smarts will help you succeed. Its the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Street smarts is just as much as knowing something with familiarity gained through experience and intelligence as book smarts. Change our outdated school with street smart book smart education.
It solely is a theoretical understanding of facts or ideas. Book smart vs street smart essay research paper example. With an emphasis on realworld, streetsmart tactics, hell show. Street smart the psychology of good and bad judgment on november 10, 2015, in dr.
What is the difference between street smarts and book. Book smart people have usually studied hard to reach their level of knowledge. Tomas chamorropremuzic, editorial advisory board, leadership, learning, talent management, by dr. Why you need to be street smart, not book smart better.
Book smarts refer to the education, schooling and other kinds of knowledge that one has acquired. Aug 19, 2017 well i try not to go outside much since im allergic to sunlight, and im majoring in materials science and engineering, so book smarts are more useful to me. Now, its time for words and their stories from voa learning english. The stereotype of a streetsmart person is someone who knows how to handle. Motely fool has an article on this focuses on going to college as the criteria for being book smart which is perhaps narrower than mine. Gerald graff is an english professor at the university of illinois and has written many books. The figured world of smartness in the lives of marginalized, urban youth. In graffs essay, hidden intellectualism, graff compares street smarts to book smarts.
Rather, says veteran companybuilder norm brodsky, theres a mentality that helps street smart entrepreneurs solve problems and pursue opportunities as they arise. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well. Intelligent people are sometimes street smart because they have learned from experiences rather than books. Using your intelligence effectively in college by frozenflan on january 31, 2014 its the question weve all had in our minds as soon as our brains were capable of thought. Had the nerd been exposed to the same situations they would likely learn faster and have better street smarts.
But, by far, the most common definition of smart is to be very good at learning and understanding things. Well i try not to go outside much since im allergic to sunlight, and im majoring in materials science and engineering, so book smarts are more useful to me. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading street smarts. In the beginning he emphasizes that his knowledge of business comes from street smarts, beginning with the lessons he learned on the street from his father. Maybe for some people, dating is sort of an organic thing where you just dive into it and let it grow whereas studying for economics is something you go to the library, grab a book, and start reading. Book smarts derive their knowledge from theories and books and street smarts from experiences. Apr 23, 20 when people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other. They know its their responsibility to teach logic so their kids can get out of the many jams theyll inevitably encounter. Book smart people are frequently educated to a high level.
Street smart and book smart are two different types of. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words bartleby. Arnold is traumatized after becoming a street muggers latest victim. The real difference between book smarts and genuine.
Malcolm x obviously had the street smarts, but like graff he mixed his new book smarts with his street smarts to be successful in life. There is definitely a difference between book smarts and street smarts one isnt better than the other but the ideal is a balance between the two. Ive always wondered in the back of my mind what the actual outcome of this would be, so i was pretty excited when i saw your title. Book smart is having a lot of information at hand but no general knowledge of how things work. Street smarts do win the race against book smarts but it is the combination of two that does the wonder. Intellectualism by gerald graff is street smarts versus book smarts.
In main street smarts, successful entrepreneur and business leader david morgan provides you with the fundamental building blocks you need to pursue your business goals. Whereas, street smarts refers to the experiential knowledge on things. For you to be more educated in life and have an awesome career everyone will prefer a person who is book smart and not street. Personally, i am more book smart than street smart.
Ikea stores in some countries advertise furniture for siestas wisdom culture. Im just really bad at putting forth effort toward that area. I think there is a difference between being book smart and. Study this, take this test, get this right answer, move onto the next exam. Street smart would probably be more useful to me because apparently im pretty dumb in that sense. It cant be denied that the books smarts are indeed smart. Street smarts vs book smarts talking about thinking. So, my fellow book smart people, bear in mind that haters gonna hate and graters gonna grate. So which are the differences between book smarts and really intelligent people. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts as it operates in schools. Sure, your friends always tell you how clever you are. Jun 18, 2014 whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under.
Street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago. Being street smart means having interest in other activities more than in school work, while being book smart is the complete opposite of that. Finding the balance for me was extremely difficult. Book smarts and street smarts, both have their advantages in the corporate world and it depends upon what the employer is looking for to determine who gets the upper hand.
Why street smarts will always be better than book smarts. Whats the difference between being street smart and book. Book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. If you are a street smart with knowledge, it works best. However, they dont necessarily have a deeper comprehension of the topic. While intelligence has been defined in many different ways including as ones capacity for logic, understanding, selfawareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity, and problemsolving. Besides since i have book smarts i can just memorize what street smart characters do in books and imitate them in the proper situation. The terms book smart and street smart differentiate between someone who went to a university and those who figured it out all on their own. Like smart people are generally smart, but they lean more to one side of the scale.
There are several problems with the terms street smarts and book smarts. October 18, 2014 introduction this paper will be discussing the debate on whether or not higher education in law enforcement officers should be mandatory and the effect it can have in the correctional facilities. Difference between book smart and street smart, book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. Whats more important in a guy, street smart or book smart. Street smarts are what you learn through experience. The ladies of the real share their views, in this girl chat. Any person who uses that line that street smart is what stupid people call it are just idiots.
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