Book Smart People vs. Street Smart People

[Cytro]

My uncle has a master’s degree in American History and a bachelor in western civilization. As I was growing up he trained me like a robot to know all history, as if I was ever going to use all this information. History is very important to know, however, my uncle is a huge book nerd who no one likes.

My question is, why don’t you try to make yourself into a great figure instead of reading about there extraordinary lives? Don’t get me wrong, you can learn a lot about how they did it, but what’s the point of learning all that information if your never going to use it.

Book smart people put to much infuses on learning everything there is to know, yet do not learn one of the most important skills around. People Skills!

 

[Kawaii]

Yeah, i think that's one of the major flaws with most(all?) schools in the world today... They only teach people how to survive, not how to live!

 

[Nixy]

I don't really see book smarts as being smart...I see it as knowing a lot of stuff and nothing more...someone who is smart is a person who can handle situations on their own and who knows HOW to do things on their own...someone who posesses the ability to think...and figure stuff out...not someone who just memorized a lot of shit.

 

[tonksy]

you need a balance of both...well...need is a strong view...i mean there are millions without either.

 

[Nixy]

Well, yeah...for sure...people need to read to learn somethings...you can't just figure everything out...

What I was saying was that people who read and read and read and just memorize and don't posecess basic life skills I don't see as "smart"....JUST book smarts doesn't = smart to me...

 

[Luis G]

I don't really see book smarts as being smart...I see it as knowing a lot of stuff and nothing more...someone who is smart is a person who can handle situations on their own and who knows HOW to do things on their own...someone who posesses the ability to think...and figure stuff out...not someone who just memorized a lot of shit.

 

[tonksy]

Well, yeah...for sure...people need to read to learn somethings...you can't just figure everything out...

What I was saying was that people who read and read and read and just memorize and don't posecess basic life skills I don't see as "smart"....JUST book smarts doesn't = smart to me...

oh, i agree....most definitely.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Ahhh...the old Knowledge vs Wisdom argument.

 

[Camelyn]

There are those in this world who are well-educated, and those who are wise. You can be both, neither, or only one out of two. One of the wisest people I have ever know never made it past the seventh grade, and some of the most ignorant people I know have university degrees.

Personally, if I had to choose, I prefer the wise to the well-educated.

 

[IDLEchild]

What about well read and wise..lets not forget those who are street suavy and sharp witted all the while quoting Shakespeare and Aristophanes or Baudeliere and Moliere. Those individuals entice me and peak my interest in humanity as opposed the the drones I meet everyday.

Sadly I do not fall into any of those two categories. I am very much the zombie drone I despise.

darn hard words.

 

[chcr]

What about well read and wise..lets not forget those who are street suavy and sharp witted all the while quoting Shakespeare and Aristophanes or Baudeliere and Moliere. Those individuals entice me and peak my interest in humanity as opposed the the drones I meet everyday.

Sadly I do not fall into any of those two categories. I am very much the zombie drone I despise.

darn hard words.

*pique, not peak *

Yeah, the two are certainly not mutually exclusive, although I probably tend toward the book smart end of the spectrum. I don't consider my self particularly wise, but I am pretty well read. The little wisdom I have acquired has been expensive in time and life experiences, too bad there isn't an easier way to get it.

 

[BlurOfSerenity]

this thread immediately reminded me of me and my boyfriend.
he's the street smart one. i think it's safe to say he could likely get himself thru nearly any situation. he's got a brain that thinks that way. it's frightening sometimes.

me, i'm the book-smart one. and i have like zero street smarts. i picked up this phrase somewhere, i think it's descriptive of me:
"for someone so smart, you sure are dumb".
that is so me.
i'm frequently seen as a blithering idiot, even tho, book-wise, i likely know a fair bit more than those who percieve me this way.

 

[freako104]

nixy I agree with ya

 

[Cytro]

Making grades is a skill by itself

Making good grades is a skill on its own. Think about it, I learned in high school that its not just about doing well on a test, its also about "sucking up" to the teacher. For example, if its a lady teacher i would always flirt a bit and she somtimes gave me bounes points for random things. If its a guy teacher, I would be sturn and give direct eye contact ( kinda like being in the army).

I abmit I suck at school yet graudated with a 3.9 ( and still can't spell, LOL)

 

[freako104]

yea but being good in school and good in people skills are different. tho I think being in school private or public can help with people skills tho it doesnt always work. but I agree getting good grades is a skill all its own

 

[AlphaTroll]

Re: Making grades is a skill by itself

Maybe you should have sucked up less and concentrated on learning more?

 

[HomeLAN]

Re: Making grades is a skill by itself

Maybe you should have sucked up less and concentrated on learning more?

That would require far more effort.

 

[Gonz]

Re: Making grades is a skill by itself

Making good grades is a skill on its own. Think about it, I learned in high school that its not just about doing well on a test, its also about "sucking up" to the teacher.

So, if your teacher absolutely hated you, and you answered 99% of all the questions correctly, the teacher would have failed you? I'd beg to differ.

 

[HomeLAN]

Re: Making grades is a skill by itself

Well, Cytro is at least learning something. I'm sure he has a prosperous future in either commissioned sales or politics.

 

[chcr]

Re: Making grades is a skill by itself

So, if your teacher absolutely hated you, and you answered 99% of all the questions correctly, the teacher would have failed you? I'd beg to differ.

Happened to me once. 11th grade History. Administration made him restore my grade.

Edit: Couldn't have been because I'm an argumentative SOB????