Tomas chamorropremuzic, editorial advisory board, leadership, learning, talent management, by dr. Why street smarts always win out over book smarts when it. On the surface, they simply differentiate between people who have obtained most of their knowledge from school book smarts and those who. Iq tests can account for only 4% of the variance in reallife job performance. Street smarts book smarts sage journals sage publications. Personally, i am more book smart than street smart. 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. Finding the balance for me was extremely difficult. I grew up disliking academics very much but didnt mind the street smarts i had gained. The combination of practical knowledge and explicit knowledge is the key to a successful career. 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. Why being street smart is better than being book smart in. The author claims that people are better off if they are more street smart than book smart. The idea of street smarts and book smarts is argued in terms of good and bad or good.
Another huge distinction between book smarts and street smarts is who is in the middle of the knowledge. For many people, there is no difference between smart and intelligent, because the. Know plenty of people with a ton of book smarts who didnt go to far in life. The youth made key distinctions between being book smart vs.
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. Had the nerd been exposed to the same situations they would likely learn faster and have better street smarts. Using your intelligence effectively in college by frozenflan on january 31, 2014 its the question weve all had in our minds as. The stereotype of a streetsmart person is someone who knows how to handle. Sep 10, 2017 the general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. It is great to read a book and learn about a particular subject, viewpoint or opinion. Street smarts vs book smarts, the epic debate continued. It means youve learned how to take what has happened to you, good or bad, think about it, and learn to improve from it. Know a good few people who are just street smart who do quite well for themselves. Book smart people have a lot of general knowledge and do well at quizzes, but they might struggle with more complex ideas. Theres money smart, theres movie smart, theres computer 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.
Infographic by john cook on november 4, 2011 at 10. I respect what graff, and x have to say and agree with them, both book and street smarts are very important. How many times do you hear people trying to distinguish the difference between being book smart and street smart. What is the difference between street smarts and book. Aug 27, 2015 in business, in sales, and in life, book smarts will help you succeed. This distinction is a direct challenge by the youth to the dominant discourse of smartness or book smarts as it operates in schools. What is the difference between book smart and street smart. Theres just too many different kinds of smarts for people to know all the smarts. 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. It cant be denied that the books smarts are indeed smart. Jun 18, 2014 whether one is more versed in street smarts or book smarts depends on the circumstances one has grown up under.
Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words bartleby. Growing up, i was very street smart but not so book smart. A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment. However, the underlying idea is that the person deals with situations especially bad or difficult situations from an intellectual d. Graff debates the common belief that having book smarts gives one an. Its the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Usa today street smarts is another great read from one of the most astute global investors of our time. Relying on theoretical knowledge all the time can lead up to disastrous consequences because a little pragmatism is always necessary to analyze your current. She explores the difference between her mothers english and that of other. While intelligence has been defined in many different ways including as ones capacity for logic, understanding, selfawareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity, and problemsolving. Someone who is intelligent, learns well, and educated very well academically. Did your computer crash in the midst of designing their new website. Intellectualism by gerald graff is street smarts versus book smarts.
There are several problems with the terms street smarts and book smarts. Theres book smart, there is street smart, theres relationship smart, theres too many different kinds of smarts to know all of them. As a result, computers became the mainstay for engineering design and. Most people who are street smart arent very book smart and vice versa. 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. Gerald graff is an english professor at the university of illinois and has written many books. Street smart the psychology of good and bad judgment on november 10, 2015, in dr. Bookpro are for highend consumers and professionals involved in design.
The difference between business smarts and book smarts. Apr 23, 20 when people discuss street smarts and book smarts, its usually implied that you can only have one or the other. Book smart is simply describing that the person as generally intelligent, well educated and do well academically. Most important perhaps, being street smart comes from experience. These two types of smarts are not mutually exclusive. My stepsister is book smart but not street smart, she cant do much for herself, she calls her dad for everything. If youve got one, getting the other will give you superpowers. It also gives you a better idea of the people you are with and the. Essay on street smarts versus book smarts 706 words 3 pages. The reality is that they simply dont know what theyre not exposed to. To be book smart or streetsmart the debate on this topic has been going on for a long time. In fact, the term common knowledge accurately describes exactly what the name indicates, that the knowledge is common amoung people, and that the common. Besides since i have book smarts i can just memorize what street smart characters do in books and imitate them in the proper situation. With wisdom, humor, and amusing antidotes, the investment biker recounts his lifes experiences in a manner that is as entertaining as it is educational.
If you are a street smart with knowledge, it works best. 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. Those who join the workforce at a younger age and in a more junior role are often much more street. However, they dont necessarily have a deeper comprehension of the topic. 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. For as the saying goes, there is a big difference between knowing a thing. Book smarts enjoy the structure of the learning environment.
Apr 18, 2011 street smarts over book smarts gerald graff is a professor of english and education in the university of illinois at chicago. If you are trying to ascertain the meaning of the question, it basically means, do you have more knowledge and wisdom about books and ideas, or. The general definition of book smart is someone who is intelligent and very well educated academically. Simply put, a person who has book smarts is someone who is intelligent and well. 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. Being street smart puts you at the centre of the knowledge. Anyone can have street smarts, but not just anyone has the determination and drive to complete the school smarts. Both malcolm x, and gerald graff make very interesting points about street and book smarts. Whether people are talking about themselves, or talking about another person, youll always hear them give some type of explanation that sounds.
Sure, your friends always tell you how clever you are. Academic intelligence is measured by iq and most classroom. Street smarts do win the race against book smarts but it is the combination of two that does the wonder. In graffs essay, hidden intellectualism, graff compares street smarts to book smarts. Street smarts is experienced, book smarts is learned through books.
Why you need to be street smart, not book smart better. In the end the book smart harvard debate team was defeated by the street smart prisoners. So which are the differences between book smarts and really intelligent people. Street smarts is just as much as knowing something with familiarity gained through experience and intelligence as book smarts. And those skills are much more important than being book smart. In terms of the smarts dominant trait, these are really people that are not necessarily book smart. May 23, 20 street smarts trump book smarts if you want to get seriously rich.
Book smart or street smart who would be your choice. Street smart, what are books going to do for you if you have no sense of anything else in life. The real difference between book smarts and genuine. The main distinction between the two is the difference between the sources of their knowledge. The authors is very persuasive using real life examples. However, ramping up that expertise to make many multiples of those millions regularly requires street smarts as well. Street smart and book smart are two different types of. The difference between academic intelligence book smarts and practical intelligence street smarts was first define in terms of the tasks involved neisser, 1976. Philosophical shtis it better to be book smart or street 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. Street smarts to help clarify students understanding of. 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.
Its extremely tough to succeed without finding a balance between book smarts and street smarts. Now, its time for words and their stories from voa learning english. You can have all the book smarts in the world, but the real world will eat you up and spit you out if you aint able to play the game. You are essentially studying what someone else has discovered. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at the center of the knowledge. Street smarts trump book smarts if you want to get seriously rich. Study this, take this test, get this right answer, move onto the next exam. A book smart has only word experience, as he or she is a book worm. Book smart vs street smart essay research paper example. 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. Book smarts derive their knowledge from theories and books and street smarts from experiences.
Simply put, i am saying that street smarts are as equally as important in the world as book smarts. 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. Test your smarts with these savvy questions to find out if youre book smart or street smart. On this program we talk about words and expressions that we use in everyda. The prime distinction between street smarts and book smarts is who is at. While many, if not most, people hold book smarts in the highest regard, the truth is. Im going to guess, based on my own experiences, that it is pretty often. It means that it enables you to observe and evaluate the situation or environment you are in.
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