Are educated people smart?

Question

They seem to be "book" smart and know absolutely nothing about the real world.
They just think they know.

Answer 1

Educated people are usually reasonably smart. And their understanding of the real world is usually pretty good. It depends which aspect of the real world you're talking about. There is a liberal ideology which is often characteristic of the educated that may not be entirely realistic but on average the educated have a better understanding of reality than uneducated people.

Answer 2

I am with you on this one, I have seen "book smart" and "street smart" and wonder about it.

Educated people are just that , educated and nothing more; to gain an education one must have the ability to soak it all in; this is "intelligence"; a very intelligent person has a brain bucket that's full or has the ability to be filled up; a not so intelligent person, average, simply has a smaller bucket;

The street smart person has a pretty big bucket, but thier level of maturity keeps them pinned down and not having any desire to fill up thier buckets as they may simply not want to educate and fill the bucket, a not so "smart" move...

I think your seeing what we all see, intellects who have zero or no personallity; however, they have the ability to work quantum Physics before coffee but can't talk over coffee about how nice the weather will be today; I see it all the time; my best guess is something is sacrificed for the large bucket; the personallity has had little time to develope as the person attached to the large bucket has simply been soaking in stuff all their lives; to bad cause today is bitchen kite weather...

Answer 3

If there's one thing I've encountered about educated people, they are indeed book smart in the ways of previous educator's teachings but lack waaaay low in the common sense department. It's like solving a problem using the techniques of advanced equations when all that was needed is a simple subtraction. I'm all for higher education but put in the study of the changing attitude of the mind also.

Answer 4

I deal with "educated idiots" on the phone all the time. It peaves me to think that most jobs require an education, yet those of us who are intelligent but haven't a lot of degrees could be taught to do a better job! Intelligence and education don't necessarily go hand in hand. It's like a wannabe mechanic learning the trade. Unless they have the mechanical inclination in their blood from birth, they won't be any good. I'm a firm believer that you are born intelligent. I was, and only made it most of the way through an associate degree.

Answer 5

Not always. Some people become "book" smart by working hard, but they could be a little slow. Some people are very smart that they spend so much time reading, but they wouldn't know much about the real world.

Answer 6

You'll find this is the case among many "Ivory Tower Elite". They think they are so smart because they have pieces of paper where other 'smart' people have told them they were smart.

That is not to say an education is not worth it, or people haven't worked hard for their degrees, but some people never leave their towers and enter the real world.

Answer 7

Education doesn't necessarily make you smart...But, as a teacher, I like to think that we do teach something worthwhile in the classroom. You may not realise that the things you learn in school are useful, but they are. If you are referring to University educated people being smarter, I don't believe that is necessarily true, but smart people continue to learn throughout their lives, they never stop. So, it's important to keep learning, whether it be from life experience or from books.

Answer 8

you are 100% correct! they have degrees on the wall and can quote from books, which is good, bot they are not!! street smart! i lived on streets for 13 years, a dirt poor alcoholic! now iam sober 6 years ,go to college, and attend A.A! NOW WHEN DEALINGWITH AN ADDICT, WHO DO YOU THINK THYE WILL PAY MORE ATTENTION TO? THE STREET WINO!! THAT IS WHO! WHY? BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE, AND HAVE STREET SMARTS NAD PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. the person who is book! smart has not a clue on what a street person through! the people with the degrees on the wall! like you say, KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! ABOUT REAL LIFE AND SUFFERING! THAT IS FACT!

Answer 9

I agree. I am a college graduate & a lot of folks I was in school with have no common sense. The reverse is also true. There a lot of intelligent people out there without a formal education.

Answer 10

There are different kinds of "smart". The more educated people are, the more they know how little they know. The more you read, the more you know how little you know. Being smart is realizing that have to learn and learn and learn. It never ends.