what do you define as street smart and book smart

[Chernabog]

Yeah, I am pretty sure book smarts is more like knowing all the steps to building a microprocessor or skyscraper. Noone thinks they have book smarts because they read how to change a tire. If they did they'd be the kind of person who brags about their street smarts.

You took what I said way, way too literally.

 

[SafyreSchool**]

Street smarts are extroverted, booksmart introverted?

 

[Fawlty]

I like this distinction. Street smarts has to do with psychology and is about quick decision making.

But that's why street smarts can be improved with book smarts. And experience and so on. You can be both and a lot of people are.

I think when booksmart people get streetsmart is with practical experience, and the bigger thinking- the ability to analyze stuff after the fact, begins to kick in. An example for me is pool hustling. When I started gambling, I was a huge sucker because I couldn't pick up on shit intuitively that other people could. As a result I took a few bad hits from players who weren't as good as me, and after time to reflect and experience, I can spot a hustle a mile away.

But I can't necessarily spot any hustle in other areas of life, and I'm still liable to be a mark. My booksmarts protect me from it because I'm cautious when approached, but often I can only figure out the hustle much later.

The two definitely go together and build on each other, and people good at both ends of intelligence have to try hard not to succeed.

 

[Iroh]

They are both equally valid or invalid. They are both inaccurate descriptions of intellect.

 

[Rusk]

Those labels are huge generalization, but here is my take:

Book smart: You know stuff about revolutions in 1848, can go deep into the subjects (more introverted nature).

Street smart: People that are good with selling stuff, manipulating and being fake, they are also very social (more extraverted nature). Am not saying that they are all assholes. But the ones that are extremely street smart usually have psychopathic tendencies.

I knew one Ukranian guy that i thought was my friend. He was what i would call street smart, he was already mall boss when he was 19, was very good with women, and made good money on reselling stuff. The problem is he was very unethical, a liar and a manipulator.

So long story short, he ended in a hospital, was looking like a soviet flag. Then he was forced to leave the town. He had a lot of reasons to do so but i think the main reason was that one of 200 girls that he **** started to spread rumors about him, that he had a small dick.

So now the asshole lives far far away, but am sure he still continues with his dirty deeds even after all that happened.

Thats street smart for you :icon_lol:

 

[SevenSamurai]

innate or fostered situational awareness vs studied or academic awareness

 

[Unknown Pleasures]

My two cents are "street smarts" are more about trusting your instincts, without a formal application of theory. And while "book smarts" might be about designing rules, formulating rules, etc, "street smarts" is about knowing WHEN to break the rules. A lot of times street smarts and book smarts unknowingly co-exist.

To explain... the thing about "street smarts" is like the game Survivor. In Survivor, it's rarely the smartest person who wins it all. The person who knows the most about wildlife, nature, surviving in the wild is a threat, and the less "book smart" will gang up and eliminate the threat.

That's why the winner is usually a tool bag. Or at least a lot of useless people stay in the game, because they fit. Sometimes the weakest people go very close to the very end simply because they are the weakest.

A "street smart" person on Survivor knows they're better off acting dumb at times to win.

So that's the thing, if people are honest, fair, etc, the winner of survivor would be that most knowledgeable best fisherman, awesome firestarter, great athlete.

But knowing that humans do not act fair, will lie, cheat, steal etc, it means a second skillset is needed, and that's when to do what you have to do to protect yourself from the liars, cheaters, thiefs etc, even if it might mean beating people at their own game.

That's where street smarts come in. It's about knowing when to manipulate, lie etc.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

Anytime anyone brags about being "smart", you know they are wrong. Smart people don't need or want to draw attention from others by cheap words. Actual smart people (either by book/knowledge or wisdom/experience) don't even think like that.

The only way you would need to brag about yourself being "smart" of any kind is if others don't say it for you (meaning that you aren't smart enough through your actions to be any part evident of such to others around you, which means you're even duller than average)

We've covered people who call themselves 'streetsmart'. People who call themselves "too scientifically minded" or anything like that are trumping themselves up, are not people who make discoveries or have any notable achievements, because if they did they would talk about those (it's a topic that actually has potential and not just a flat, self-congratulatory conversational dead end). They may have decent grades (mostly from memorizing and reciting), and that's a big maybe because that's not even always true, but if they do then that's all they've got.

And that, class, is why everyone instinctively hates and is repulsed by a braggart

 

[therealdope]

The replies ITT are interesting/surprising. I expected a lot more "start smart" > "book smart" responses.

I'm not sure I can contribute anything here because I have a polarized view of what "street smart" means. I ONLY associate it with the people I knew when I lived in a shitty neighborhood full of uneducated people. Most of the people I think of as "street smart" have had terrible lives.

 

[WARserra]

Anytime anyone brags about being "smart", you know they are wrong. Smart people don't need or want to draw attention from others by cheap words. Actual smart people (either by book/knowledge or wisdom/experience) don't even think like that.

The only way you would need to brag about yourself being "smart" of any kind is if others don't say it for you (meaning that you aren't smart enough through your actions to be any part evident of such to others around you, which means you're even duller than average)

We've covered people who call themselves 'streetsmart'. People who call themselves "too scientifically minded" or anything like that are trumping themselves up, are not people who make discoveries or have any notable achievements, because if they did they would talk about those (it's a topic that actually has potential and not just a flat, self-congratulatory conversational dead end). They may have decent grades (mostly from memorizing and reciting), and that's a big maybe because that's not even always true, but if they do then that's all they've got.

And that, class, is why everyone instinctively hates and is repulsed by a braggart

 

[BPA00]

I've always viewed those two terms to mean handicapped in some way. Essentially describing someone as the tallest midget or smartest retard. He who is street smart is acknowledging that he's not an intellectual. He who is book smart is acknowledging that he is socially inept. Hence why people often refer to others as 'X-smart' while people don't usually classify themselves in those categories. When people classify themselves as either of these, they're usually well behind the curve of what is acceptable in the adjacent option.

This is very well said. Both terms tend to infer that you have a huge dificiency, either socially or intellectually.

 

[minute bull]

Anytime anyone brags about being "smart", you know they are wrong.

I agree. I don't consider intelligent to be a state. It is defined by the resolution of problems. It is an act. People who divide themselves from "the masses" aren't behaving intelligently.

 

[ValeTudo95]

Street smart = clever, but with little education.

 

[UFCfightman**]

there are some people who are educated and have the credentials but are not that bright. just had good training/opportunities due to their upbringing.

Then there are people without access to education but are naturally intelligent.

However most people claiming to be street smart are just protecting their own egos.

 

[ValeTudo95]

innate or fostered situational awareness vs studied or academic awareness

It's not innate - it's entirely learnt, but otherwise I agree.

 

[Plutoburn]

IQ vs EQ

Number skill vs people skill

 

[Gaylords Force]

I think of this video every time "street smart vs book smart" is mentioned.

 

[NorCalNinja]

Those labels are huge generalization, but here is my take:

Book smart: You know stuff about revolutions in 1848, can go deep into the subjects (more introverted nature).

Street smart: People that are good with selling stuff, manipulating and being fake, they are also very social (more extraverted nature). Am not saying that they are all assholes. But the ones that are extremely street smart usually have psychopathic tendencies.

I knew one Ukranian guy that i thought was my friend. He was what i would call street smart, he was already mall boss when he was 19, was very good with women, and made good money on reselling stuff. The problem is he was very unethical, a liar and a manipulator.

So long story short, he ended in a hospital, was looking like a soviet flag. Then he was forced to leave the town. He had a lot of reasons to do so but i think the main reason was that one of 200 girls that he **** started to spread rumors about him, that he had a small dick.

So now the asshole lives far far away, but am sure he still continues with his dirty deeds even after all that happened.

Thats street smart for you :icon_lol:

LOL @ you thinking extroverts are more often psychopaths than introverts.

You couldnt be more wrong.

 

[NorCalNinja]

innate or fostered situational awareness vs studied or academic awareness

innate or fostered situational awareness is just code for people who are dumb to stroke their fragile ego. /sarcasm

 

[Rusk]

LOL @ you thinking extroverts are more often psychopaths than introverts.

You couldnt be more wrong.

well the one i talked about was definitely extrovert...

but tell me why am wrong?