We have already identified street smarts as the ability to make decisions based on experience instead of observation. Most important perhaps, being street smart comes from experience. Usa today street smarts is another great read from one of the most astute global investors of our time. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom testing. But does have some interested examples from the ceo ranks.
Generally most associated with words like clever and cunning. The combination of practical knowledge and explicit knowledge is the key to a successful career. For many people, there is no difference between smart and. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words 3 pages. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. When it comes to intelligence, it can be divided into two broad categories. Street smarts is what you learn from life and living. Im going to guess, based on my own experiences, that it is pretty often. The main distinction between the two is the difference between the sources of their knowledge. Whats more important in a guy, street smart or book smart.
It is great to read a book and learn about a particular subject, viewpoint or opinion. The difference between street smarts and streetwise. I respect what graff, and x have to say and agree with them, both book and street smarts are very important. Street smarts vs book smarts talking about thinking.
How many times do you hear people trying to distinguish the difference between being book smart and street smart. Therefore people who are not book smart, cannot be street smart, because theyve made a choice to slack off in life. Book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. Its extremely tough to succeed without finding a balance between book smarts and street smarts. With wisdom, humor, and amusing antidotes, the investment biker recounts his lifes experiences in a manner that is as entertaining as it is educational. It means youve learned how to take what has happened to you, good or bad, think about it, and learn to improve from it. I know people with a lot of book smarts that dont know how life works. Both malcolm x, and gerald graff make very interesting points about street and book smarts. When people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
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. In graffs essay, hidden intellectualism, graff compares street smarts to book smarts. There is no doubt in my mind street smarts kicks book smarts ass. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at. The real difference between book smarts and genuine. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts as it operates in schools. It cant be denied that the books smarts are indeed smart. So which are the differences between book smarts and really intelligent people. Often, kids who have to learn to be streetwise grow up in dangerous. Street smarts vs book smarts, the epic debate continued. While intelligence has been defined in many different ways including as ones capacity for logic, understanding, selfawareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity, and problemsolving. Shelley bridgeman is a columnist for lifestyle at the new zealand herald. 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.
Hi reddit, im curious to get some feedback as to what you guys think is at the core of the difference between street smarts and book smarts. You need a combination of common sense and the ability to retain facts to be intelligent. Its clear that some people have better judgment than others. You are essentially studying what someone else has discovered. In the end the book smart harvard debate team was defeated by the street smart prisoners. Why street smarts always win out over book smarts when it. However, the underlying idea is that the person deals with situations especially bad or difficult situations from an intellectual d. While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is. Common sense knowing who you can trust, which areas in town are good and which are bad, etc. Book smart people have a lot of general knowledge and do well at quizzes, but they might struggle with more complex ideas. The youth made key distinctions between being book smart vs.
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. Simply put, a person who has book smarts is someone who is intelligent and well educated academically. What is the difference between street smarts and book. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an intellectual advantage over other forms of intellectualism. What is the difference between book smart and street smart. Book smart vs street smart essay research paper example. Street smarts rely more on intuition in order to plan their next move. I think everybody needs a mixture of both you need to have a realistic education obtained from your environment and experience. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. On this program we talk about words and expressions that we use in everyda. Adventures on the road and in the markets kindle edition by rogers, jim. My opinion is, in order to get and keep a good paying job, you need both street smarts and book smarts.
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 smart the psychology of good and bad judgment. Being street smart puts you at the centre of the knowledge. Getting along with others knowing which questions to ask and not asking too many,being polite and friendly, but also being assertive. 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. Street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago. Another huge distinction between book smarts and street smarts is who is in the middle of the knowledge. Why you need to be street smart, not book smart better.
Because getting good grades helps you through life. Just as useful as book smarts, and in many cases more so. 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. Some are some of the brainiest and most knowledgable people around. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at the center of the knowledge. However, they dont necessarily have a deeper comprehension of the topic. Whether people are talking about themselves, or talking about another person, youll always hear them give some type of explanation that sounds. The main distinction between the two is the difference. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading street smarts. The difference between academic intelligence book smarts and practical intelligence street smarts was first define in terms of the tasks involved neisser, 1976. Here are 10 ways to tell you are more book smart than common sense smart. 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. 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.
Being streetwise, or having street knowledge, is knowing how to keep yourself safe in public places. My husband has street smarts, i have book smarts, we balance the knowledge out. I talk about intelligence, cleverness, cunning and wisdom that post is all about what the words mean, where they come from, and how those types of intelligence are applied, as a means of making sense for a reader. However, you cant always learn everything from school and. The figured world of smartness in the lives of marginalized, urban youth. Teaching street smarts to kids kept off the streets. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words. Its the difference between intelligence and wisdom. It means that it enables you to observe and evaluate the situation or environment you are in.
Obviously i understand how these terms are derived but im trying to understand more deeply what separates the different mindsets. For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the. Street smarts is experienced, book smarts is learned through books. I grew up disliking academics very much but didnt mind the street smarts i had gained. Now, its time for words and their stories from voa learning english. According to them, their reallife experiences are their primary sources of knowledge. Whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. I have book smarts, but i have such a lack of common sense type knowledge. A while ago a fair while ago, i wrote a series of blog posts detailing the major difference between types of mental competence. Difference between book smart and street smart, book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. 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 soon as our brains were capable of thought. Intelligence means that you can adopt and grasp new concepts.
1242 1027 216 1000 839 657 98 246 220 71 554 169 775 744 1369 692 530 655 1596 498 1377 1554 758 124 1629 544 1620 302 413 354 473 712 294 377 1413 1533 744 788 3 4 1103 757 757 1004 1017 833 1126 971 213 1431 660