While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is. Intelligence means that you can adopt and grasp new concepts. Book smart or street smart who would be your choice. Being street smart means having interest in other activities more than in school work, while being book smart is the complete opposite of that. While intelligence has been defined in many different ways including as ones capacity for logic, understanding, selfawareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity, and problemsolving. Growing up, book smart people were those considered to enjoy academic studies while street smarts were considered athletes. Street smart is being able to use knowledge youve gained by observing others and being able to tell how things are going to happen in a social situation. Typically, a laptop weighs about five pounds and is about 1. Street smart, what are books going to do for you if you have no sense of anything else in life. The stereotype of a streetsmart person is someone who knows how to handle. They looked at how students in an urban school viewed the differences between students that are street smart and those that are book smart. 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. Street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago.
Book smart is having a lot of information at hand but no general knowledge of how things work. We will always remember his i have a dream speech for being inspirational without exaggeration. It means that it enables you to observe and evaluate the situation or environment you are in. Book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. Graff says that knowledge goes far beyond academic learning and continues into our everyday living. 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. So which are the differences between book smarts and really intelligent people. 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. What types of smart are there besides book smart and.
They will also get paid more but not everything in life can be solved by looking it up in a book or with money. Permalink 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. Whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under. Whereas, street smarts refers to the experiential knowledge on things.
Theres money smart, theres movie smart, theres computer smart. 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. Body part 2 being street smarts is also the way to succeed. 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. Aug 19, 2017 in reality we should have a mixture of both street smarts and book smarts to be functioning healthy human beings. And if youre street smart and not book smart, then read a goddamn. 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.
Studies have shown that iq only counts for about 20% of our success, and it is our eq our emotional intelligence, how we deal with our. Its the difference between intelligence and wisdom. It is great to read a book and learn about a particular subject, viewpoint or opinion. For example, 25% of people on social media have posted something they later regretted, the divorce rate in the us is 50%, and over the past decade the tattoo removal industry has grown 440%. Apr 29, 2018 2 thoughts on street smarts vs book smarts scolon april 29, 2018 at 6. Being street smart puts you at the centre of the knowledge. They believe value lies in knowing things and reading things.
A book smart has only word experience, as he or she is a book worm. This is a fallible dichotomy by those who wish to make themselves sound smarter. Philosophical shtis it better to be book smart or street smart. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts. Go get an apartment, or reach for a more challenging job. As you can see, being book smart and being street smart are two completely different sets of skills and knowledge. Book smart the general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. While which one is more helpful can be a matter of debate and also depends on the context, it is generally seen that street smarts weigh more on the scale when it comes. Why being street smart is better than being book smart in.
As a result, computers became the mainstay for engineering design and. This blog is my attempt to document my journey through graduate school as a doctoral student of education, and to share experi. In graffs essay, hidden intellectualism, graff compares street smarts to book smarts. Jan 31, 2014 the truth is, being book smart and street smart has a lot more to do than just your upbringing and personality. Being absolutely one or the other with none of the opposite is crippling. Apr 23, 20 when people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other.
Street smarts do win the race against book smarts but it is the combination of two that does the wonder. Whats the difference between being street smart and book. Jan 24, 2018 i love the opportunity to answer this question, but most people arent going to like the answer. In street smarts, rogers takes us through the highlights of his life in the financial markets, from his school days at yale and oxfordwhere despite the fact that he didnt have enough money to afford the appropriate pair of shoes, he coxed the crew and helped to win the oxfordcambridge boat race as well as the thames cup, the first of his. Being book smart versus street smart or visa versus is an interesting concept ive been investigating. They discussed that students viewed book smarts as students that would gain an education and go to colleges while street smarts were viewed as being able to maneuver through life, social structures, and. When people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other. You need a combination of common sense and the ability to retain facts to be intelligent. While people with book smarts may be able to study all week and ace a midterm, they may lack some serious common sense or the ability to converse and interact with people with ease, which comes naturally to those who have learned through their experiences, rather than classroom instruction.
If youre book smart and not street smart, then get out in the freaking world. Dec 09, 2015 book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. Book smart vs street smart essay research paper example. Making a cup of coffee sounds like a potentially difficult task hey, theres a reason they invented the keurig. However, street smarts and book smarts completely mean different things. Just as useful as book smarts, and in many cases more so.
A personal blog by catherine cheng with the objective of inspiring you to keep engaging, to continue wandering, and to cherish lifes small moments. Just because youre book smart doesnt mean that you have street smarts. Theres just too many different kinds of smarts for people to know all the smarts. Notebooks and tablets are more portablesmall enough to be carried in a backpack. So lets find out if youre booksmart or streetsmart. Difference between smart and intelligent difference between. To be book smart or streetsmart the debate on this topic has been.
Whereas, street smarts gives you the tools and mental capacity to work out solutions in a more natural way when faced with disaster. What is the difference between street smarts and book. My stepsister is book smart but not street smart, she cant do much for herself, she calls her dad for everything. The other downside is the focus on the tv show the apprentice, a show, like many other. Smart can be applied to learned inferences, such as making smart business or emotional decisions. A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment. Another huge distinction between book smarts and street smarts is who is in the middle of the knowledge. Street smart versus book smart in his article hidden intellectualism, gerald graff criticizes those that do not put value into street smarts. Street smarts is just as much as knowing something with familiarity gained through experience and intelligence as book smarts. Book smarts refer to the education, schooling and other kinds of knowledge that one has acquired. For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the.
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. In reality we should have a mixture of both street smarts and book smarts to be functioning healthy human beings. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words bartleby. Both malcolm x, and gerald graff make very interesting points about street and book smarts. However, they dont necessarily have a deeper comprehension of the topic. 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. Theres book smart, there is street smart, theres relationship smart, theres too many different kinds of smarts to know all of them. Someone who is intelligent, learns well, and educated very well academically. The street smarts of an african bushman and a member of a nairobi street gang probably both include information about finding food and avoiding danger, but in strikingly different ways. Some people are analytically intelligent or book smart. Getting along with others knowing which questions to ask and not asking too many,being polite and friendly, but also being assertive. However, there is a difference between the meanings and use of these words. Study this, take this test, get this right answer, move onto the next exam. Jul 06, 2006 unless you write a book that a best seller, then you dont need street smarts all that much.
Common sense knowing who you can trust, which areas in town are good and which are bad, etc. The youth made key distinctions between being book smart vs. Therefor id choose neither, but if i must id go with street smarts. Which one do you think is more important between eq and iq for the success or failure in life. Oct 14, 2017 on the other hand, people who are good at dealing with practical life problems have lots of street smarts. You are essentially studying what someone else has discovered. Making honor roll, on the other hand, comes pretty easily. Street smarts vs book smarts talking about thinking. The real difference between book smarts and genuine. 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. It has a lot to do with your preferred learning style, and which way you perceive the world.
Simply put, a person who has book smarts is someone who is intelligent and well. If you are a street smart with knowledge, it works best. Personal finance through facts, fiction and conversation robert x. Its clear that some people have better judgment than others. As you research further, you will realize that people dont just. The world is full of people who are either book smart or street smart. Jun 18, 2014 whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under.
The difference between academic intelligence book smarts and practical intelligence street smarts was first define in terms of the tasks involved neisser, 1976. Book smarts derive their knowledge from theories and books and street smarts from experiences. 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. 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. Book smart means that you have learned a lot from books, school, and college. Every month, ask this old house and the home depot will present a practical home improvement projectfrom maintenance and repairs, to enhancements and howtoscomplete with video demonstrations, straightforward instructions, and a handy shopping list to get you started. It solely is a theoretical understanding of facts or ideas. The definition heres how the dictionary defines the two street smarts. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom testing. If you recall your time in school, you can identify book smart and street smart kids. Aug 12, 2007 i am by far the brightest, out of everyone i know, when it comes to street smarts. Although many successful musicians may not have book smarts, they certainly have the street smarts needed to succeed in the music industry. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts as it operates in schools.
May 23, 20 the street smart superrich credit the book smart for their mastery of a sophisticated topic, which is why they hire these experts. There are several problems with the terms street smarts and book smarts. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. What is the difference between laptop and notebook computers. For as the saying goes, there is a big difference between knowing a thing. I think there is a difference between being book smart and. Im just really bad at putting forth effort toward that area. Why you need to be street smart, not book smart better.
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. Here are 10 ways to tell you are more book smart than common sense smart. Book smart versus street smart grow value for wealth. Street smart and book smart are two different types of. Sep 10, 2017 the general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. However, to the street smart, the book smart are commodities and. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an intellectual advantage over other forms of intellectualism. Street smarts is experienced, book smarts is learned through books. Without street smarts, you wont survive in the real world. He states, the need to prove i was smart and the fear of a beating if i proved it too well.
What is the difference between book smart and street smart. Book smarts are most likely to be the ones with better jobs because of their education. Their precision of knowledge can somehow compensate for their lack of experience applying it in the real world. People who have street smarts may not have read as many books or earned college degrees. For as the saying goes, there is a big difference between knowing a. Street smart students will be more engaged in writing an essay about sports, cars, fashion and other topics versus writing about plato and shakespeare. The truth is, being book smart and street smart has a lot more to do than just your upbringing and personality. 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. Take note that the definition of analytical skills may change to match the requirements. Personal finance through facts, fiction and conversation. Book smarts enjoy the structure of the learning environment. And those skills are much more important than being book smart. Street smarts trump book smarts if you want to get seriously rich.
In reality there is zero difference between the two. But does have some interested examples from the ceo ranks. However, that doesnt mean that they cant be used in conjunction with one another. It also gives you a better idea of the people you are with and the. Having both types of smarts makes you just generally smart. Relying on theoretical knowledge all the time can lead up to disastrous consequences because a little pragmatism is always necessary to analyze your current. Street smarts vs book smarts, the epic debate continued. Did your computer crash in the midst of designing their new website. I need this, guys, i know im capable of some type of smart. For example, 25% of people on social media have posted something they later regretted, the divorce rate in the us is 50%, and over the past decade the tattoo removal industry has grown 440% although tramp stamps and tasteless tweets are mostly benign mistakes, there are a remarkable number of people whose poor decisionmaking.
What types of smart are there besides book smart and street. The main distinction between the two is the difference between the sources of their knowledge. Street smart in the article, hidden intellectualism, gerald graff discusses the topic of book smart versus street smart. Ikea stores in some countries advertise furniture for siestas wisdom culture. However, the underlying idea is that the person deals with situations especially bad or difficult situations from an intellectual d. Why street smarts always win out over book smarts when it. Book smart people have a lot of general knowledge and do well at quizzes, but they might struggle with more complex ideas. The difference between laptops and notebooks is somewhat blurry. In short, common sense tasks often pose a greater challenge than those you. This type of intelligence is used to recall or recognize, analyze, evaluate, and.
Now living on the street is different than street smarts. Street smarts are what you learn through experience. What types of smart are there besides book smart and street smart. When we study and learn, we become smarter in the subject matter. Apr 18, 2011 book smarts are having an advantage when receiving higher education and excelling academically. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at the center of the knowledge. On the surface, they simply differentiate between people who have obtained most of their knowledge from school book smarts and those who. 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. I respect what graff, and x have to say and agree with them, both book and street smarts are very important. Book smart or street smart, we have to put effort into becoming smarter. It is important to define the difference between both.
950 1359 643 727 841 629 222 851 26 1378 691 721 1223 265 1070 866 1437 1137 483 111 1555 1379 713 953 206 1280 1364 194