<p>It’s a little odd, but:</p>
<p>Math/science: Street smart (as in reading the book does absolutely nothing for me, need to see it done visually, figure out in my own idiosyncratic ways)</p>
<p>English/languages/history: Book smart and street smart (I’m good at memorizing facts and stuff, and how to synthesize language, but I can get it out of a book)</p>
<p>I know my “street smart” isn’t really “street smart.” It’s nerd-street-smart, I suppose.</p>
<p>My time on the interwebz and playing hoops with a multitude of characters has made me a twin killer in the smarts departments.</p>
<p>I’m very street-smart. Like others said, I also grew up in a crappy neighborhood. I think I’m more intuitive-smart than book-smart. I never do homework and get average grades, but I get the concepts very well. I usually get 50% or so on homework because I do the first 3 problems of each type. What’s the point of repetition when you’ve got it? I know, I know, I’m stubborn and I have a male brain.</p>
<p>seriously say this to your teacher:</p>
<p>"I think you should stop criticizing the book smart kids because they are the ones that will go on in life, they are the ones that become the leaders. It doesn’t help in life if you are street smartest person and have F’s and are flipping burgers. And also I think you are just jealous that you weren’t the book smart kid who got into Stanford and became a neurosurgeon. F**k You.</p>
<p>What your teacher says really ticks me as well. I’m totally with you.</p>
<p>Haha. I support Shubham92, except maybe the “F**k You” part. It’s silly of your teacher to assume that “Book Smart” and “Street Smart” are mutually exclusive lol. </p>
<p>And as for those people who scorn the “studiers” as less smart, it’s because they reason that if you need to study to get those As you’re not as naturally apt as those who dun need to study to get those same As <em>shrug</em> it’s probably true too, but it’s a bad standard to judge everyone on b/c you don’t know how hard their classes are…</p>
<p>I’m both. I’m street smart due to my upbringing–and my parent’s trust in me to do the right thing. But, in my neighborhood, you don’t need street smarts. But, I’d say street smart foremost. I grew up in an area very close to where 50 cent is from. But, now, I live in a very cushioned area. I still got my street-smarts. I know when it’s good to have something sharp on me out, just in case.</p>
<p>I admit, I make fun of friends for studying so much. They’re smart but I’m sure that if they stopped studying, they’d terribly fail. And the basic fact…they’d get mugged…too. I don’t think it’s natural aptitute 100% of the time. I used to be one of those kids who was smart–but studied a lot before I figured out that I could do just as well, if not better, if I didn’t really study. If I had to choose, I’d choose being street-smart over being book-smart, personally. You can function ANYWHERE in the world if you got a good sense. But you only function somewhere where your knowledge can be directly applied if you’re book smart.</p>
<p>Shudham92, the only problem with your quote is that kids who are book-smart and sheltered tend to scorn kids who are street-smart and just naturally do well without trying. They’re always jealous of how little they can do and get away with it. You could say it’s two-way jealousy.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say i’m street smart…but getting beat up for being smart definately motivates you to hide it.</p>
<p>Lol, bunch of people stroking their egos in this thread.</p>
<p>“in my neighborhood, either your street smart or you died a loooong time ago.”</p>
<p>^ yawn .</p>
<p>i’ll let the book smart kids have the upper-hand now, but when it comes down to getting a job, that’s when i’ll shine. they can have the cubicle jobs.</p>
<p>Both can get you very far in life, but if you have street smarts, you can learn how to exploit people to get what you want, and then you are in the position to hire book smarts to do your dirty work. There are so many cases where street smart people rise to the top and hire book smart people and make them their *****es.</p>
<p>If you have both street smarts and book smarts, you are going to rule the world.</p>
<p>i definitely agree with Kelper on being both street and book smart
i mean street smarts is just knowing how to use your logic. the book smart people tend to limit themselves to what they have studied and learned but they do not know how to use their logic to connect the dots. if you learn, study, and use logic in that sense, i have to agree you will rule the world or at least become successful enough.</p>
<p>Well, realy the basic of all intellience is being able to apply information. In that way, book smarts and street smarts are fundamentally the same.</p>
<p>Proletariat2 got it. This whole dichotomy you guys are trying to construct is stupid. Why not just take it the rest of the way and discuss multiple intelligences theory?</p>
<p>lol at everyone claiming to be “street smart”. i live in a pretty rough part of new york city and i think that “street smarts” are largely exaggerated… it’s more like common sense.</p>
<p>i don’t study that much and i get all A’s. I am reasonably street smart, not one of those guys who is crazy street smart, but i got some.</p>
<p>If by street smarts you mean emotional intelligence, toughness, social skills, and a little bit of ruthlessness, then okay, I could call myself street smart. But as in actual “survival on the streets” smart? Nah…</p>
<p>By the way, when does street smart have anything to do with doing well in school without trying? I’d think that falls under book smart, people… or simply raw intelligence. But on the book half. :P</p>
<p>Heh, I’m so incredibly sheltered that I’ve never had the chance to develop any “street smarts”. But I don’t know-- I do have common sense, but I mostly just apply it to school work. Like, knowing what to study so I can get the same grade as the guy who reviews for two hours, but with way less time spent. I suck at reasoning in 3-d and estimating distances and stuff like that, though.</p>
<p>How does one become more Street Smart? It seems the path isn’t very straightforward.</p>
<p>Consider Michael Scofield on the Prison Break tv show. He is both extremely book and street smart. How does one gain street smarts, survival, toughness, emotional intelligence, ruthlessness, etc.</p>
<p>It just seem like natural personality to me. You can also gain if through hardship… learning to survive any kind, whether it’s the kind that can actually get you physically hurt or not, is very helpful 
</p>
<p>As for the actual surviving in the ghetto thing, I don’t know. I just hope I never end up in that situation ^.^</p>