As an individual who i feel possesses an equal measure of book smarts and street smarts, i. Book smarts on the other hand means being very learned in a variety of fields, but having knowledge that does not necessarily bring you some where. I respect what graff, and x have to say and agree with them, both book and street smarts are very important. Someone with street smarts is intelligent, has good common sense.
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. All answers are intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas or. Maybe some people rely on book smarts for some answers but rely on street smarts for other answers. Having to choose one over the other, i think street smarts is more important to have in the real world as it is the real world that we live in, not a book. Here are 10 ways to tell you are more book smart than common sense smart. Why being street smart is better than being book smart. Street smarts vs book smarts talking about thinking. Book smart people have usually studied hard to reach their level of knowledge. Quite the opposite, book smarts have virtually a wideranging definition. It means you ve learned how to take what has happened to you, good or bad. 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. I believe i am more street smart but there is a balance that we wold like to achieve. Street smarts vs book smarts, the epic debate continued. 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.
On this program we talk about words and expressions that we use in everyda. A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment. However, for some people, it could be a more clearcut answer. The main distinction between the two is the difference. Take our quiz and figure out who is a street smart person. So which are the differences between book smarts and really intelligent people. My friends in college who had more street smarts than book smarts were the first to receive job offers upon graduating. What is the difference between book smart and street smart. The only people that ive heard say that theyre street smart are the dumbest. Were talking about street smarts versus book smarts, and these two could not be any more different from each other. Jan 05, 2004 the opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, not of.
There are certain skills you need to become successful in life. I think this mindset is more about doing things above board, playing by the rules, and understanding how to complete assigned tasks in an orderly and timely fashion. Book smarts are the facts and data you get by studying books and going to school. I think this is more about how to intelligently handle ambiguity and understanding the social side of the equation. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. Street smarts often act out in school because theyre forced to learn in ways that dont make use of their talents. Share on facebook share on twitter share add comment embed. Book smart vs street smart essay research paper example. Apr 18, 2011 street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago.
Book smarts enjoy the structure of the learning environment. Apr 29, 2018 2 thoughts on street smarts vs book smarts scolon april 29, 2018 at 6. Like, youre not smart, so atleast you know some things. 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.
Jun 18, 2014 whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under. There is no doubt in my mind street smarts kicks book smarts ass. Maybe someone wasnt as good at school or they had a knack for it, maybe sports were more of their thing, or the debate team. The world is full of people who are either book smart or street smart. Neither book smarts nor street smarts is as helpful as a rich relative, jokes tim knox who decided to forgo college and today is the founder and president of four. However, the underlying idea is that the person deals with situations especially bad or difficult situations from an intellectual d. The difference between academic intelligence book smarts and practical intelligence street smarts was first define in terms of the tasks involved neisser, 1976.
Most important perhaps, being street smart comes from experience. Street smarts allow a person to meet and overcome a variety of obstacles in the world. A book smart has only word experience, as he or she is a book worm. Using your intelligence effectively in college by frozenflan on january 31, 2014 its the question weve all had in our minds as. As a specialist in projectbased learning, i couldnt pass up the opportunity to use this network program to highlight the pros and cons of traditional education. Both malcolm x, and gerald graff make very interesting points about street and book smarts. For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the. Whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under. Issues and ideas in public education, v39 n2 p145166 jun 2007. Theyre experts at recalling, recognizing, and analyzing information. While intelligence has been defined in many different ways including as ones capacity for logic, understanding, selfawareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity, and problemsolving. Now, its time for words and their stories from voa learning english. We will always remember his i have a dream speech for being inspirational without exaggeration. Street smart the psychology of good and bad judgment on november 10, 2015, in dr.
Some intelligent people are not educated to a higher level. Unbelievable egotheres a lot of buzz about the new season of the apprentice where book smarts takes on street smarts. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Being book smart suggests an individual is wellinformed when it comes to understanding calculations, numbers, academics, etc. This 245 web web page information is taken under consideration by many to be the simplest books written on trading futures.
The combination of practical knowledge and explicit knowledge is the key to a successful career. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts as it operates in schools. Book smart people have a lot of general knowledge and do well at quizzes, but they might struggle with more complex ideas. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of. Book smart people are frequently educated to a high level. Someone who is intelligent, learns well, and educated very well academically.
The author claims that people are better off if they are more street smart than book smart. For me, i believe whatever we are book smarts or street smarts, we still can learn something from our teacher. In graffs essay, hidden intellectualism, graff compares street smarts to book smarts. Conversely, streetsmart people are often demeaned simply because they are classified as those who didnt have the right stuff to attend an institute of higher learning. Book smarts is theoretical knowledge and street smarts is real life knowledge. The definition heres how the dictionary defines the two street smarts. Government work and school settings are good for book smart people. Book smarts refer to the education, schooling and other kinds of knowledge that one has acquired. Being street smart beats being book smart any day of the week. Study this, take this test, get this right answer, move onto the next exam. It means that it enables you to observe and evaluate the situation or environment you are in. Nov 19, 2018 conversely, streetsmart people are often demeaned simply because they are classified as those who didnt have the right stuff to attend an institute of higher learning.
Jason may be street smart but he is also book smart. Usa today street smarts is another great read from one of the most astute global investors of our time. 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. The authors is very persuasive using real life examples. The figured world of smartness in the lives of marginalized, urban youth. 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. Street smarts refer to the tactical knowledge you gain through experience whereas book smarts relate to what you learn in school. 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. However, they dont necessarily have a deeper comprehension of the topic. Typically the tasks in these tests have certain characteristics. In addition, the point is the schools and teachers need to change the educational methods that they need to find out a learning method can satisfy both street smarts and street smarts. Intellectualism by gerald graff is street smarts versus book smarts. Being street smart means you have situational awareness. Sep 08, 2006 you need street smarts to process book smarts and use book smarts effectively.
Common sense knowing who you can trust, which areas in town are good and which are bad, etc. Intelligent people are sometimes street smart because they have learned from experiences rather than books. Book smart people are most successful when expectations are clearlydefined. Revealed in 1996 and written by larry connors and new market wizard linda raschke. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an.
Tomas chamorropremuzic, editorial advisory board, leadership, learning, talent management, by dr. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at the center of the knowledge. Its clear that some people have better judgment than others. Dec 14, 2005 neither book smarts nor street smarts is as helpful as a rich relative, jokes tim knox who decided to forgo college and today is the founder and president of four successful technology companies. Street smarts the business of life and millions of other books are available for instant access. Being street smart puts you at the centre of the knowledge. Book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. How smartness is defined within schools contributes to low academic achievement by poor and racialethnic minority students. 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. But does have some interested examples from the ceo ranks. Street smarts rely more on intuition in order to plan their next move. Street smarts are the skills you learn by working and socializing in the real world. 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. 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.
However, street smarts and book smarts completely mean different things. While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is. The more extreme and negative stereotypes are that book smart people are naive, easily manipulated, and have bad judgment in bad situations, while street smart people are unintelligent and incapable of achieving a higher education. While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is that street smarts hold immeasurable value. What are the advantages of book smarts vs street smarts. Street smarts to succeed in business, which is more valuable. Characterized by their love of learning, book smart people are organized and prepared for any situation.
Why street smarts always win out over book smarts when it. You are essentially studying what someone else has discovered. Just as useful as book smarts, and in many cases more so. As a specialist in projectbased learning, i couldnt pass up the opportunity to use this network program to. They never hold on to what is written in a book as something sacred and to be followed. The ladies of the real share their views, in this girl chat. People who are book smart are at a loss in situations that they have not studied so they are at a severe disadvantage over the person who has learned through experience and therefore gained exponentially more intelligence from the event. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words 3 pages. Investopedia is committed to rigorous editorial standards to provide our readers with the best advice and recommendations. With wisdom, humor, and amusing antidotes, the investment biker recounts his lifes experiences in a manner that is as entertaining as it is educational. Why you need to be street smart, not book smart better. It means youve learned how to take what has happened to you, good or bad. But, if you say that your street smart, i think that is equivalent or just an existing term to being fucking stupid. Another huge distinction between book smarts and street smarts is who is in the middle of the knowledge.
The stereotype of a book smart person is someone who is upperclass and well educated but less knowledgeable when it comes to handling important situations faced in bad neighborhoods and lower. It is also a myth that you need to excel in school in order to earn a. However, the term is usually used to contrast and compare with another term known as street smart. They believe value lies in knowing things and reading things. The youth made key distinctions between being book smart vs. So, my fellow book smart people, bear in mind that haters gonna hate and graters gonna grate. It is great to read a book and learn about a particular subject, viewpoint or opinion. In a way, while having book smarts relies on learning and holding on. As an individual who i feel possesses an equal measure of book smarts and street smarts, i believe i can speak on this topic. Gerald graff is an english professor at the university of illinois and has written many books.
Simply put, a person who has book smarts is someone who is intelligent and well educated academically. Getting along with others knowing which questions to ask and not asking too many,being polite and friendly, but also being assertive. Sep 10, 2017 the general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. On the other hand, book smart people rely more on tried and tested strategies. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words. Both stereotypes arent always true and any semblance of them are only due to different lifestyles and experiences. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an intellectual advantage over other forms of intellectualism.
It solely is a theoretical understanding of facts or ideas. In a book its you trying to absorb someone elses take on the world, and however amazing the writer is, you are at best one degree removed from the actual experience. On the other hand, people who are good at dealing with practical life problems have lots of streetsmarts. There are certain skills you need to become successful in life that can only be gained through experience. Street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago. It could be difficult to tell, especially for those who are a combination of both. Book smart people are wellread and possess a wealth of knowledge. The other downside is the focus on the tv show the apprentice, a show, like many other.
The two important aspects of smartness when it comes to smartness, it can be divided down into two broad categories. Well feature a different book each week and share exclusive deals you wont find anywhere else. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom testing. As an entrepreneur, finding a balance between street smarts vs book smarts has been crucial. Whereas, street smarts refers to the experiential knowledge on things. Mar 03, 2016 this video is about street smarts vs book smarts.
156 1392 710 1582 212 1326 955 1171 14 1102 1516 319 1538 771 390 934 1459 1101 707 347 143 853 787 88 1249 154 1030 975 2 836 1068 406