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  1. #1
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    Book smarts vs. street smarts

    As an afterthought to the premise of the last "The Apprentice" series, what would you rather have (if you could only have one) - book smarts or street smarts?

    It's kind of an unfair question because what does it really mean? Does the question imply that if you have street smarts, then you never got past Grade 5 in school? Or if you have book smarts, does that mean you just fell off the turnip truck, and you're just a sitting duck if you are ever left alone on the streets?

    I'll let you define your own parameters. Or perhaps even just discuss it in general terms. But to the point, I'd be curious to know why you would rather be one over the other.

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  2. #2
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    I didn't see any of the apprentice shows but I'll take street smarts over book smarts any day.

  3. #3
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    Actually, I only caught one or two episodes myself. My wife and daughter are addicts but I never got hooked.

    I agree with you, Blue. I'd rather know that I can "handle" myself with street smarts. I personally know a few very well studied scholars...who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag in a business environment. They know facts, but they can neither apply them to real life, nor think on their feet to adapt to any given situation or problem.

    Vito
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  4. #4
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    I'm preferable to street smarts, but not one to knock knowledge. But IMO street smarts will make you a better business person. If you've got some bumps and scratches along the way, then all the better.
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  5. #5
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    I prefer to be book smart and street smart.

  6. #6
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    boonchuan

    You must pick one, or we vote you off the island!

    Vito
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  7. #7
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    Originally posted by boonchuan
    I prefer to be book smart and street smart.
    Originally posted by vito
    . . . what would you rather have (if you could only have one)

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  8. #8
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    Street Smart. It'll get you farther in life!

  9. #9
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    It's a false question Vito. It's like asking would you rather have air or water? You need both, and you'll have a great deal of difficulty functioning in today's society if you lack in either.

    Sure it sounds good to say I'd rather have street smarts, but the fact is that my book smarts have gotten me immeasurably farther in life than my street smarts, especially as I've grown older. That's the best answer I can give - that book smarts have been more valuable to me. But I can't pick one over the other, because one day street smarts might save my life. Who knows?
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  10. #10
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    Like they say to be a good lover you need to experience and books won't really show you how to please a women so I'll have to go with street smarts.

    * I don't know what's up with me today, I sound like a don juan.
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  11. #11
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    Originally posted by the_pm
    It's a false question Vito. It's like asking would you rather have air or water? You need both, and you'll have a great deal of difficulty functioning in today's society if you lack in either.
    Interesting but I think you're wrong, Street smarts will buy you book smarts but the opposite isn't true.
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  12. #12
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    street smarts, you can always educate them further in specifics, whereas you can't always make someone apply their booksmart knowledge well.

  13. #13
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    Originally posted by the_pm
    It's a false question Vito. It's like asking would you rather have air or water?
    Paul, I know. It's a weak and flawed question, at best. I suppose I could have put more thought into defining it better.

    How about this?

    I'm not suggesting mutual exclusivity. You do need to have some degree of both. I'm asking what would you prefer to have more? In a crunch, which do you feel would more likely get you out of a tough situation, or solve a problem?

    Vito
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  14. #14
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    Originally posted by vito
    Paul, I know. It's a weak and flawed question, at best. I suppose I could have put more thought into defining it better.

    How about this?

    I'm not suggesting mutual exclusivity. You do need to have some degree of both. I'm asking what would you prefer to have more? In a crunch, which do you feel would more likely get you out of a tough situation, or solve a problem?

    Vito
    Well, when you put it like that, I stand by my last post. Most tough situations and problems that need solving nowadays involve the application of book smarts in my professional life. In a crunch, this is what's gotten me through.

    I'm not terribly concerned about my street smarts. I'm very intuitive by nature, and I've innately handled myself very well in tough environmental situations. But if I don't constantly pursue the furthering of my book smarts, I run the very real risk of becoming obsolete. There's no question which one requires my efforts and attention more, and which one I would have to say I prefer to have more.
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  15. #15
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    Interesting read -

    http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/...ry05021805.htm

    Oh, and for the record, the winner in The Apprentice was from the Book Smarts camp.

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  16. #16
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    I'd go for book smarts. I know lots of people who have lots of street smarts and are great and very successful in what they do, but as soon as the topic of conversation moves away in some unpredicted direction you can tell they feel inferior. I have no doubt that person can live happy life without knowing about Wagner, of early Chinese civilization or Greek mythology or any other "irrelevant" stuff, but imho that would be sad and wasted life.

  17. #17
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    Street smarts are only achieved through life experience. Book smarts are achieved through study. Everyone achieves some modicum of street smarts by just being around long enough.

    As one who has book smarts (MIS undergrad, M.B.A., Masters of Economics) I would always take street smarts over book smarts, if they were mutually exclusive. Survival skills are the basics of street smarts. Street smarts involve gut level problem solving skills while book smarts provide intellectual problem solving skills. I'm speaking with regards to advanced business degrees. I don't know what advanced English or History or (insert any liberal arts degree here) degrees will afford you by way of problem solving or critical thinking skills.

    For SERIOUS heavy lifting, having mostly street smarts won't get you very far in the corporate world. Your gut can many times provide you the correct answers and direction; however you are unable to quantify the reasons. There are theories and formulas that are immensely important when making many critical business decisions. These skills are only provided through higher education.

    I prefer having both life experience and an advanced education. I can hang out with my red neck buddies at the RC track and talk about engines, but also talk about the velocity of money with my banker and CEO friends at the golf course.

    A wise man once said an education is an investment in your future and something that can never be taken away from you. I urge all the college aged young adults here to get an education. It is something that is extremely important and one thing in life that you will never, ever regret.

  18. #18
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    There are plenty of crackheads, prostitutes, and drunks that have more street smarts than I do. Also plenty of people who will never do anything but serve burgers their entire lives. Unfortunately, their utter lack of book smarts confines them from ever being sucessful in life and pre-disposes them to their current addictions and lifestyles. A very well educated individual will end up with much more potential for being sucessful. Street smarts never hurt, but book smarts are very important IMO.
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  19. #19
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    The Apprentice? You watch that reality TV crap? Anyway, I guess it depends on what you mean by the definition. A lot of "book smarts" to some people, and often justifiably so, mean people can remember what they were taught. That's to say, people that excel in a school curriculum because they are fed information and asked the same questions throughout their school years, never being self thinkers and problem solvers, never being innovative.

    Certainly remembering things can be food and useful, though, but often aren't things you can, will or were asked to apply (sometimes, anyway). Street smarts are often associated with simple, obvious and survival based intelligence, which may or may not be true, even as far as crime, real issues and avoiding scams and being taken. I don't subscribe to either of these definitions in those general terms. I don't think an intelligent person can truly excel in one and lack in the other enough to be deemed more or less wise regarding anything.

    I also don't mean some story/myth like how Einstein was a genius, but couldn't tie his shoes (yeah, right), but literally, someone intelligent, which is what you ultimately are asking about, whom can be of real value, is a natural problem solver, they have a mind for it, and can figure things out. Some things are more natural than others or just make more sense, and some are due to their environment or freedom to express themselves or apply themselves.

    There's a lot of debates about teaching methods and there could be a very long discussion about this, so rather than get into all of that and those theories (which many are valid and definitely more logical and effective than the current teaching methods), I'd have to say both. If one couldn't comprehend or problem solve in either aspect, I'd not have much confidence in them, regardless of what an IQ, SAT or grades show to be the contrary, had they lacked in either.

  20. #20
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    Depends in what kind of situation I'm in, what type of job, what type of profession, it can be totally book smart or completely street smart of a bit of both.

    I would prefer street smart over book smart but at the same time one cannot work without some of the other imo.
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  21. #21
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    Im in agreement here with most of you, you need both.

    Book smarts will get you in the door as a business professional(sp? i went temp. stupid) but its the real world application of those things you learnes (street smarts) that will keep you there.

    I would prefer street smarts myself, as i have a decent mixture of friends in both areas(we are all around 25-35) the ones with the street smarts are tending to do a lot better due to a better flexibility and a broader range of training.

  22. #22
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    I remember when I was 16 in 1984 at my first summer job - a Burger King. I was talking to an 18 year old dropout who was bragging that she didn't have book smarts but she had street smarts.

    Now 21 years later, I have two Masters Degrees and have accrued a credible amount of "street smarts" in leading people over the past 15 years.

    Problem is that 99% of the people I've met that flaunt their street smarts are usually not very smart. Most people that lack book smarts do so because they failed to apply themselves in school. A lack of discipline for education typically duplicates itself in other endeavors. There are also scads of professions that you simply cannot learn from just being around it.

    Can you become the richest man in the world and be a college dropout. Yes and it has been done by Bill Gates. Is that the normal course for most? No and even Bill Gates has plenty of book smarts but he's just smart in general.
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  23. #23
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    Vito, can we pick neither?

    I could most certainly go for some bliss after all .
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  24. #24
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    I detest "reality" shows and I become violent and succumb to fits of rage if someone attempts to force me to sit through one so I know nothing more about "the Apprentice" than what Saturday Night Live spoofs on it.

    Anyway, give me a COMBINATION of book smarts and street smarts.

    You can be street smart all you want but if you don't have some technical book knowledge to back it up you're nothing more than a shadetree mechanic, and while I'll let one change tires or oil all day long, I ain't letting a "good old boy" anywhere NEAR the ECU in my truck.... If he ain't got a computer diagnostic system and the training to use it, he can just change my oil and leave the real mecahnicing to the well trained and well equipped mechanics. And that applies to most everything out there. You need some book smarts but all book smarts is useless, all theory, no application.
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  25. #25
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    i am street smart as it is,

    sometimes i wish i was booksmart

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