Street Smarts Vs. Book Smarts?

Question

What do you think is more important to have in the real world?

Answer 1

Most of successful people have both. Notice how in medical school, they make you read alot of books and THEN you gain experience. Books give you a foundational of knowledge to work from as you gain experience.

Seriously, trying operating on someone's brain with no medical school to guide you. Try going to your college lab class without first having read up on the lab and made a plan.

There really is no need to reinvent the wheel through "experience" when it's already written down in the a book. You just need a balance of both, with a bit of luck.

Answer 2

You need street smarts to process book smarts and use book smarts effectively.

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.

Book smarts is theoretical knowledge and street smarts is real life knowledge.

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.

Answer 3

Street smart is more important because you know about things by experience. Book smart is reading about something you might never experience or that you may one day experience and you will find out that what you have read is totally different than what you are experiencing at the given moment.

Answer 4

Street Smarts.

We evolved from experience, a baby learns to walk by experience and not by reading.

Book Smarts are dependent only on the authors interpretation of the real world, and some of this authors does not even have a clear view of the real thing.

Answer 5

hmm, good question, ideally both are important. as i have known (even worked for) people who are extremely street savy and have alot of common sense, but lack higher education, and it was apparent. but one can be self taught, read, and develop both types of intellegence, i have seen this as well. people in the world or intellect and academia who lack the other type of "smart", can develop this over time through experience, albeit rough experience, (ie.myself); but it is not really the same. since i have always had the book smarts, i vote for book smarts, the rest can be learned over time and by connecting with the right people. truth be told, there are so many levels of intelligence and talent, if one has the drive and energy, confidence, it does not matter which one we possess more of;

Answer 6

Street smarts = survival. You do not survive the streets if you are weak or sane. Gut instinct takes over and the "Law of the Jungle" takes hold. I lived on the streets of Brooklyn in the late 50's early 60's. It's not about common sense, it's how can I survive. Insanity was the rule. Who was bigger and badder? Four years serving my country '67 to '71 taught me more about the "jungle" of life. I would not trade that experience for any other. It taught me how sacred and beautiful life is, something you can't find in any book.

Peace and Love

Answer 7

The best of both would be ideal. Of course, it depends on the situation.

A construction worker would do best with street smarts over book smarts for example.

Where as a Math teacher would do better in book smarts.

Answer 8

when I was younger,I was definitely a book smart...it was going pretty well,but I felt like I needed something else...blah blah sounds ridiculous,I know.
Still,I think more important are street smarts.If you're too much of a book smart you might be some nerdy guy who has no idea what life really is.

Answer 9

Street Smarts of course. Without it, even the booksmarts won't be able to survive in the real world.

Answer 10

street smart of course, most of the successful people were back benchers at school