Book Smart Vs. Street Smart
In my view, there’s no denying that being street smart is way much better than being book smarts ass. Being bright on the streets means you are mindful of the situation. In this case, you can evaluate the surrounding that you find yourself in, those who are there, plus the best opportunities available. Whether you are on the street, or on whatever level you prefer, you have to learn to believe in your perception concerning people plus what counts or makes a difference. Besides, in life, this prowess is of considerable significance, regardless of where you are cultivating it from.
Perhaps most importantly, being smart on the street is the result of experience or encounters. It implies that you have mastered how to handle positive or bad things that may have occurred to you, think about them, and strive to do better. The critical difference between street intelligence and book intelligence is who is at the core of the information, in other words, knowledge. While on the streets, it is you alone against the world. In a classroom setting, it is you striving to understand someone else’s perception concerning the world.
Moreover, despite how brilliant the writer, maybe, you are far from experiencing the outside world. In simple terms, you are detached from the experience. Street smart means you are risking yourself to survive or prosper. In this case, you have been put to the test, and fortunately, you had a reserve of confidence to rely on when you were put to the test again. To be street wise will contribute to one becoming book smarts because the street-wise know what fails and what works, and adjust appropriately.
Book wise, as I have posited it, clearly means anyone good at adhering to the norms. They are individuals whose potential to score very high, solid A’s, is evident and cannot be ruled. They sit in the front of the classroom and possibly enjoy jogging their minds around crossword puzzles. Also, they like tasks that have direct answers. In many cases, they believe that the magnitude and authenticity of their intelligence will be a substitute for their limited exposure in the actual world. Thinking about things has excellent value, but considering how you are going to cope with a complex and challenging occurrence is a world away from actually being in one. From my observation, as Tyler put it in the film ‘’Fight Club’’ – “How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?”. It merely means that if you have never been involved in a confrontation, in this case, street life, the only thing you cannot understand regarding yourself is how you are supposed to respond. Also, if you have ever faced a confrontation, possibilities are you may never know how you are supposed to react in another fight.
For example, just like the Stereotypical ROTC idiot in the war films, “The Thin Red Line” and “Aliens 2” describes the professional, but less pedigreed sergeant. However, the smart book confuses false illusion with fact and only discovers the dissimilarity when it’s too late. Worse still, they persist even later, rather than realizing that they are striving to build on the wrong skills, looking for more books and diplomas: their choice blinds them because they keep on gazing at the world with a single eye.
I say all of this as someone with a strong love of books and understanding what might be termed book smart. But this experience, used to service street smarts, illustrates best everything I wish to accomplish in life.
References
Cameroon, J. (Director). (1986). Aliens, 2 [Film]. Pinewood Studios.
Fincher, D. (Director). (1999). Fight Club [Film]. 20th Century Studios.
Malick, T. (Director). (1998). The Thin Red Line [Film]. 20th Century Fox Studios.