Is it better to be book smart (intelligent) or street smart (clever)?

Question

Obviously, an appropriate mix of book smarts and street smarts is ideal.

But that's not what I'm asking. LOL

Which one is best if you have to choose - whatdya think?

Answer 1

I honestly couldn't choose one over the other.  They both have positive and negative aspects.  

Answer 2

id say street smart

Answer 3

I'd say book smart.  You can make a life out of that.  

Answer 4

Street smart.  It's what keeps you alive.

Answer 5

street smart for sure.

Answer 6

I'd say street smart. Because all the books in the world aren't going to tell you how to survive in the world. You're going to have to be quick, and books just don't help with that.

Answer 7

street smarts. definitely.

Answer 8

If I had a choice I would pick street smarts because

hoods, gang bangers and dope dealers wouldn't

give a squat about what book you read today.

Usually in the street it's not always what you know,

it's who you know. But having some book smarts

on the side never ever hurts.

Answer 9

street smart but both is good

Answer 10

Neither is really better, but I'd take street smarts, that can get you farther.

All successful people have both, noone w/o one of those will get too far.

Answer 11

depends on where you live, and what you want to do with your life. but, iw anna live in NYC and be a lawyer, so i;m going to need both.

Answer 12

I would definitely choose street smart if I had to absolutely choose one or the other. For example, my father is extremely intelligent in terms of books. He is a doctor and knows tons of useless info. My mom on the other hand is incerdibly street smart. I feel like she could definitely function better with only being street smart because she can pay bills, deal with people, etc. better than my father. My dad is awesome at physics...as well as calculus, medicine, etc...but you do not need that in the real world, especially if youre not a doctor!

Answer 13

Both

Answer 14

is this a trick question?

Answer 15

definitely street smart - it will get you farther in life.

Answer 16

Both would be ideal.

Answer 17

>>Obviously, an appropriate mix of book smarts

>>and street smarts is ideal.  But that's not what

>>I'm asking. LOL

Yes, though I see some people are still fudging the question by answering "Both!".  Oh well.

Speaking as somebody who holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree, I'd STILL have to go with street smarts.  What's most important to me is my survival, and that's when the importance of  common sense and social skills will always win out over academic knowledge.

Of course, you shouldn't use this to rationalize away bad grades.  Filling up my car with gas is far more important than checking the oil, but that doesn't mean I should NEVER check my oil.  I'd say it was my street smarts that led me to doing the book smarts. :)

Answer 18

I would take Wisdom and Intelligence over Cleverness any day!

Answer 19

book smart, with lots of experiences...finally thought about that after a 3 minute song played haha

Answer 20

If I had to choose, I'd rather be street smart.  I think book smart people get taken advantage of more often than street smart people.  Street smart people don't take s**t from anybody and can spot it from a mile away!

Answer 21

Well it really depends on the type of person.  I think street smart is better because I deal with people regularly.  My husband, however, has no street smarts whatsoever and I swear he is gonna get shanked one day! But he does have the book smarts.  

Street smarts will definitely get you farther.  You don't learn social skills from a book.  You don't learn how to survive a fight by writing a report about it.

Answer 22

I prefer to be "book" smart.  I'm not around mainstream society enough to be too concerned about needing to be "street" smart.  But I AM fortunate to be BOTH!  I usually know what people are thinking BEFORE they do!  I can read it in their eyes and body language.