# Which is better...Book Smart or Street Smart??



## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Which is better, Book Smart or Street Smart?

Which Type tends to be more street smart?

Which Type tends to be more book smart?


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## cardinalfire (Dec 10, 2009)

This is really like asking what is better, food or water?

In simple terms, Ns are more bookish and SPs are the street smart savvy guys. I'm totally more bookish, if I were given a choice, i'd have picked the street smarts. It's largely down to how we are born, one thing i've learnt is that I stand out like a sore thumb when I try to be anything other than bookish, so I don't fight it anymore. As species that has the capacity to learn and develop though, I don't believe that we can't develop our current faculties, it's just some are more naturally gifted at certain tasks than others. Which is a cause to celebrate not to mourn because we weren't born that way.


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Book smart = No people skills


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## Seeker99 (Jan 13, 2010)

azrinsani said:


> Book smart = No people skills


Well, at least you're not generalizing.


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## cardinalfire (Dec 10, 2009)

azrinsani said:


> Book smart = No people skills


Totally disagree.


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## SuperunknownVortex (Dec 4, 2009)

Um, both are helpful. This is particularly true when you integrate both 'smarts' in your life. As my friend once said of me, "You're not only book-smart, you're also street-smart." That was one of the best compliments I've ever received.


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## HannibalLecter (Apr 18, 2010)

If you are an academic, it is better to be book smart. If you are living in South Central, you'd better be Street Smart! All-in-all, I'd say that being street smart has far more practical uses than being book smart.


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## WidowsAndOrphans (Jul 10, 2010)

Street smart. I feel like those who are street smart are more action-oriented. Book smart people are commonly rigid and judgmental (psst, takes one to know one). Speaking of judgmental, people who consider themselves intellectuals are usually pussies. Just sayin'.


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## ThoughtProcess (Jul 2, 2010)

Street smart = common sense.

Some of the smartest people I know are complete idiots. On the flip side, some of the most street savvy people I know are buffoons. I think you need to find a balance but, I think that being street smart has more overall advantages.


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Why do we complain about people generalizing?

Isn't MBTI all about generalizing?

Generalizing = Simplifying


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

This is the meaning of book smart.....


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## Nasmoe (Nov 11, 2009)

Is good to have a balance of both, but I think you could still be better off if you only had street smarts. That's always meant common sense to me which is much more use in everyday getting by I think.


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## Tridentus (Dec 14, 2009)

i disagree that street smart is common sense. they're similar, but i have bad common sense and can't be described book smart, and yet my IQ at age 9 was 143. there can be a type of insightfulness which is street smart without having much to do with common sense.
i guess i'm booksmart about psychology, or like to think i am, but that's more of like a quirk of mine than something which describes me.

people massively underestimate how "interest" affects apparent intelligence. for example i cba with common sense, when friends point out something i do without thinking, it's because i find it tedious to care. i'd far rather think about my social concepts and theories all the time, and vibes. being able to pick up vibes i guess is a form of intelligence. also, i'm not the best with technology all the time but that's because it bores me, although if i really want something from it i don't have much problem figuring it out.


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## Cookie Monster (Nov 6, 2009)

Speaking definitely because the grass is greener on the other side, I would have to say "street smarts." As someone who is very bookish and can consume knowledge all day, I always do well at intellectual type activities and school...but in the real world, I have more trouble. I feel less "socially mature" than a lot of people. I just don't see how being book smart has really helped me all that much in the "real world" other than I can understand things at a more complex level that perhaps some people.


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## socalmtb858 (Jul 5, 2010)

HannibalLecter said:


> If you are an academic, it is better to be book smart. If you are living in South Central, you'd better be Street Smart! All-in-all, I'd say that being street smart has far more practical uses than being book smart.


So true! But for me, I'm glad I am book smart. I guess I am just accepting of it (finally). I tried to fight it, unsucessfully, and deny it, but in the end I couldn't. Though I do feel embarassed from time to time as a consequence of being street-dumb (?).


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## socalmtb858 (Jul 5, 2010)

> Speaking of judgmental, people who consider themselves intellectuals are usually pussies. Just sayin'.


Care to elaborate on that?

{QUOTE]Some of the smartest people I know are complete idiots. [/quote]

Yeah, and Einstein couldn't dress himself without help. We all have different "intelligences." You just have to be in the right situation to shine. It's just a guess, but I bet Michael Jordan would look dumb at a nuclear engergy conference? Huh?

Stephen Hawking discussing the upcoming football season?

Ghandi rapping with Tupac?


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## WidowsAndOrphans (Jul 10, 2010)

socalmtb858 said:


> Care to elaborate on that?


I feel like intellectuals are more likely to sit high in their ivory towers while the rest of the world is out jumping in head first, screwing up, and moving on slightly wiser for the ware. Smart people are good at finding reasons not to do difficult things


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## Narrator (Oct 11, 2009)

azrinsani said:


> Why do we complain about people generalizing?
> 
> Isn't MBTI all about generalizing?
> 
> Generalizing = Simplifying


Because half the time there's someone who's an exception to the rule.

Foolish...maybe lazy people get confused between the generalisation and the reality. Simplicity is easier in some respects, but it can become abrasive and lead people to make assumptions and act on those assumptions in negative ways.


Street smart perhaps makes your life easier, better isn't something that can be applied if you ask me; different strokes for different folks.


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## cardinalfire (Dec 10, 2009)

WidowsAndOrphans said:


> I feel like intellectuals are more likely to sit high in their ivory towers while the rest of the world is out jumping in head first, screwing up, and moving on slightly wiser for the ware. Smart people are good at finding reasons not to do difficult things





azrinsani said:


> Book smart = No people skills


You two have got to be joking. :crazy:

Try becoming a teacher, first of all you have to be very bookish, it's VERY HARD, VERY DIFFICULT, and YOU HAVE TO HAVE GREAT People skills. It's hardly a walk in the park.

I'm proud to be book smart, in fact, none of you could even type on this forum without having some book smarts, how else do you learn to read and write, learn or do math, etc etc. Practical street smart skills are useless without any theory behind them, and knowledge is wasted if it isn't put to use. So they are both required.


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## Phoenix Down (Jul 2, 2010)

I prefer to just be awesome. 

"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like 'What is beauty?' because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems. For instance, how am I going to stop some big mean motherhubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer: use a gun. And if that don't work, use more gun...like this heavy-caliber tripod-mounted little ol' number designed by me, built by me, and you'd best hope not pointed at you."


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## lirulin (Apr 16, 2010)

Book smart is more fun and interesting to me. I infinitely prefer it.
And if you think it isn't practical, you're reading the wrong damn books. :tongue:


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## socalmtb858 (Jul 5, 2010)

WidowsAndOrphans said:


> I feel like intellectuals are more likely to sit high in their ivory towers while the rest of the world is out jumping in head first, screwing up, and moving on slightly wiser for the ware. Smart people are good at finding reasons not to do difficult things


That isn't confined to just intellectuals. How about politicians? How about pompous (yet brilliant) engineer types like Steve Jobs. I think you may be referring to liberal professors who pontificate inside their comfortable classrooms and either don't allow dissention or dissmiss any oppossing theories with condescending rhetoric. Not all intellectuals are like that. I prefer to think that intellectuals contribute to society as much as any other "type." We don't live in a world where everything is practical. Mankind has pondered abstract philosophical questions above him/herself since the beginning of time so I think it's a integral part of our nature. 

What is beauty? Beauty is pointless isn't it? Mechanics is much more practical. Can't build a bridge with beauty, can you? A bridge is usefull but does it contribute to the 'quality' of life like a beautiful painting? To me, dissertations on philosophical topics is just as beautiful paintings.


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## Apollo Celestio (Mar 10, 2010)

It's not a competition, you fools.


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## Functianalyst (Jul 23, 2009)

cardinalfire said:


> This is really like asking what is better, food or water?
> 
> In simple terms, Ns are more bookish and SPs are the street smart savvy guys. I'm totally more bookish, if I were given a choice, i'd have picked the street smarts. It's largely down to how we are born, one thing i've learnt is that I stand out like a sore thumb when I try to be anything other than bookish, so I don't fight it anymore. As species that has the capacity to learn and develop though, I don't believe that we can't develop our current faculties, it's just some are more naturally gifted at certain tasks than others. Which is a cause to celebrate not to mourn because we weren't born that way.


Is this simply a generalized stereotype? I notice you say "N" which could mean Ni or Ne, but then refer to a specific temperament which uses Se. I see you use Ne as your auxiliary function which means you're not including yourself since you're a feeling type not an intuiting type? Furthermore are you implying that you are more bookish than an ISFP type although you use the same dominant function (Fi)? What about INTPs, are they more bookish than ISTPs although they also use the same dominant type as well (Ti)? What about EFJs and ETJs? Since you left out Si types are you saying that ITJS and IFJs do not add into your equation? Questions.... questions..... questions.....


Tridentus said:


> i disagree that street smart is common sense. they're similar, but i have bad common sense and can't be described book smart, and yet my IQ at age 9 was 143. there can be a type of insightfulness which is street smart without having much to do with common sense.
> i guess i'm booksmart about psychology, or like to think i am, but that's more of like a quirk of mine than something which describes me.
> 
> people massively underestimate how "interest" affects apparent intelligence. for example i cba with common sense, when friends point out something i do without thinking, it's because i find it tedious to care. i'd far rather think about my social concepts and theories all the time, and vibes. being able to pick up vibes i guess is a form of intelligence. also, i'm not the best with technology all the time but that's because it bores me, although if i really want something from it i don't have much problem figuring it out.


Interesting, so what do you consider common sense?


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## Tridentus (Dec 14, 2009)

simple things. hence "common sense", such as (trying to think of an easily relateable example)- forgetting things, saying things without thinking how it sounds coming out, being slow when it comes to building things (but weirdly getting a lot better when your NT friend typically gets all competitive about intelligence) etc.

stuff i would consider street smarts are- being insightful about how others are feeling/what they are thinking, how to act and how to project certain personas in order to get certain reactions from people, how to intuitively grasp social concepts and "get" them easily.


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## WildWinds (Mar 9, 2010)

Thats like asking "which is better, Sensors or Intuitives?"

I think both are necessary and important in their own ways, and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Whats important is that we don't become so attached to one that we close off the other.


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## cavarice (Jan 30, 2010)

When I saw this thread, I immediate thought to myself, "better_ for what_?"

Are we talking about "better" for someone on an individual basis in adapting to life, or "better" on the scale of societies?

I think that from the perspective of an individual person, it would be better to have street smarts without book smarts than to have book smarts without street smarts. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, either.

When looking from the perspective of societies, I think the indispensability of "book smarts" becomes extremely obvious. Throughout history, many "ivory-tower" intellectuals have made contributions that have altered the way human beings lives dramatically in the present day. Modern-day internet is an example that hits close to home. Many modern-day governments are built partly upon ideas that had been floated by intellectuals in centuries past. How about things like plumbing systems? Architecture? The fruits of "book smarts" are everywhere.


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## Functianalyst (Jul 23, 2009)

Tridentus said:


> simple things. hence "common sense", such as (trying to think of an easily relateable example)- forgetting things, saying things without thinking how it sounds coming out, being slow when it comes to building things (but weirdly getting a lot better when your NT friend typically gets all competitive about intelligence) etc.
> 
> stuff i would consider street smarts are- being insightful about how others are feeling/what they are thinking, how to act and how to project certain personas in order to get certain reactions from people, how to intuitively grasp social concepts and "get" them easily.


There was a thread in the ESTP sub-forum on common sense, that be located *here*. I referenced to a description of what common sense may entail:


> Common sense, based on a strict construction of the term, consists of what people in common would agree on: that which they "sense" as their common natural understanding. Some people (such as the authors of Merriam-Webster Online) use the phrase to refer to beliefs or propositions that — in their opinion — most people would consider prudent and of sound judgment, without reliance on esoteric knowledge or study or research, but based upon what they see as knowledge held by people "in common". Thus "common sense" (in this view) equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have. However this is not the common dictionary definition. The most common meaning to the phrase is good sense and sound judgement in practical matters.[citation needed] It has nothing to do with what other people may think or feel.


This seems to parallel your connotation of being street smart.


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## xezene (Aug 7, 2010)

As long as you think there is a difference, you'll never have either.


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## owlet (May 7, 2010)

WidowsAndOrphans said:


> Smart people are good at finding reasons not to do difficult things





azrinsani said:


> Why do we complain about people generalizing?
> 
> Isn't MBTI all about generalizing?
> 
> Generalizing = Simplifying


These two quotes just plain explain it all :laughing: Generalising is making life easier (I'm not saying it's good or bad. There's no good or bad for sure about it. It depends on the subject.)

Overall, I'd say it's easier to be street-wise if you want to get on with people. If you want an intellectual job and to do well in acedemia, then it's easier to be book-wise.
Most people are a balance of the two. Both can succeed without the other.


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Sensors = Street Smart

Intuitives = Book Smart


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## niss (Apr 25, 2010)

azrinsani said:


> Sensors = Street Smart
> 
> Intuitives = Book Smart


*face palm X 2*

Pilgrim, you don't have a clue about sensors. Not trying to be mean--I'm really serious. This is sooo far off of the mark.


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## onstar5488 (Sep 29, 2010)

Depends on the context. I would prefer to have a combination of both


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Haha, just trying


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## Functianalyst (Jul 23, 2009)

azrinsani said:


> Sensors = Street Smart
> 
> Intuitives = Book Smart


But where does that leave you? You're neither a thinking type nor an intuiting type.


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## ThoughtProcess (Jul 2, 2010)

> > Some of the smartest people I know are complete idiots.
> 
> 
> Yeah, and Einstein couldn't dress himself without help. We all have different "intelligences." You just have to be in the right situation to shine. It's just a guess, but I bet Michael Jordan would look dumb at a nuclear engergy conference? Huh?
> ...


I know a guy that was doing computer programming in the mid '90s, while in high school, who didn't have enough sense to not stand in front of an open picture window, that faced a street with regular police patrols, while hitting a bong. He would also duck his head almost below dashboard level, while doing 75+mph on the highway, to look for something on the passenger floorboard. Smart as he was, and still is, he's an idiot.


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## Hardstyler (Sep 4, 2010)

I find book smart people to be intellectual and street smart people to be more wise. Being street smart only applies to people who live in certain areas like where I live


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## Vaka (Feb 26, 2010)

azrinsani said:


> Sensors = Street Smart
> 
> Intuitives = Book Smart


Au contraire, my dad's an ISTJ and happens to_ lack_ street smarts but make up for it with books smarts.


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

OKay I'm rephrasing

Se users = Street Smart

Does this make sense?


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## azrinsani (Jul 31, 2010)

Functianalyst said:


> But where does that leave you? You're neither, you're a thinking type not an intuiting type.


ENTJs are knowledge appliers...

So we are book smart but probably spend less time reading. We rather apply what we've learnt more


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## niss (Apr 25, 2010)

azrinsani said:


> OKay I'm rephrasing
> 
> Se users = Street Smart
> 
> Does this make sense?


No. :frustrating:


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## Immemorial (May 16, 2010)

Book smart = Any type.

Street smart = Any type.


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## soul searcher (Jul 22, 2010)

People who believe that one is better than the other are probably either looking for a reason to feel good about the fact that they don't read much, or trying to justify the fact that they haven't gained much wisdom from life experience. Either way, it's simply foolish self-justification, when in reality, no justification is needed. We are all different and value different things. All the intelligences are useful and necessary, and it's silly to elevate one above another. And there's never, in my opinion, any valid justification for refusing to grow and learn, whether it be through experience or study.


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## Noliah (Dec 8, 2011)

azrinsani said:


> Which is better, Book Smart or Street Smart?
> 
> Which Type tends to be more street smart?
> 
> Which Type tends to be more book smart?


Depends on the book. Depends on the street. But really, I believe one should strive for both, maintaining a good balance.


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## Cassieopeia (Jan 9, 2012)

Book smart to me is a little more important, but... "Judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, and it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." We are all smart in some way, shape, or form. It takes all of us to make the world go 'round.

And book smart people have no people skills, really? This ESFJ straight A honor student wholeheartedly disagrees...


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## Lackjester (Aug 16, 2011)

A healthy balance of both.


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## Zerosum (Jul 17, 2011)

Id say book smarts.. Because you could always read and learn about street smarts


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## mehak azhar (Nov 26, 2014)

BOOK SMART VS STREET SMART
Practical personalities are the most successful in the world because street smart people can asses the situation perfectly.To being a street smart means you have situational awareness. Street smart intelligence is a good kind of virtue and this skill is of great value of every where in life.
Analytical intelligence is the ability to reason logically, it is a kind of intelligence we need to do well on traditional IQ test and college exam. Rather , practical intelligence is the ability to solve real world problems, this form of intelligence is akin to street smart. The street smart people absorb the real world experience and able to solve the situation while book smart people able to solve problems in book and think logically , rely upon others information."Practical intelligence also relates to what some researchers call social intelligence of the capacity to understand. According to my view , all the renown scientists like Newton, they were street smarts because they observed every phenomena of real world.
Book smart are good at following rules , they get straight A's. They like to like to believe volume and precision, of their knowledge can someone how compensate for the lack of experience applying it in the real world. While street smart people can overcome any difficult situation in their and are better than book smart who can handle every situation in his life, exploring new way to solve every problem. Unlike street smart book smart are confused about the real life situations and they cannot be successful in their practical life too. Like my life example, one of my peer , she took grade A in every exam and me, I always took the steps to overcome the hurdle in acedemic life. She was not good at maths and she tried to follow the rule. Our teachers said her careful and she told me I am intelligent. Schmidt and Hunter said "People who know the most about a job tend to perform it the best."
It is necessary to be street smart rather than a book smart because the street smart have the ability to overcome come every hurdle and these people can perform best on jobs and college presentation too. Street smart intelligence helps us to explore the new ways and leads to innovation


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

Both are very important, as are people smarts. It's vital that anyone at least develop at least some level of competence in all three. I personally am most proficient in street smarts, but I try and make sure I don't neglect the other two.

That being said, both street smarts and book smarts are important, it just depends on where you are. The people who have both are the ones who pave the way for tomorrow. Take the space program for example. If you aren't book smart, you don't have the calculations correct for a spacecraft to meet its destination. If you don't have street smarts, you might try and launch it in bad weather despite the protests of every single other person you are working with. Neither of these scenarios are going to end well.

But there are dozens upon dozens of different kinds of intelligence and they all have their place.


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## Harizu (Apr 27, 2014)

I think that in general no one is better than the other. One can be more useful, depending on the context.


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## Bassmasterzac (Jun 6, 2014)

Street smart. Better survivability. Easier life. 

I think common sense and wisdom is more powerful.

I usually prefer to gain practical knowledge as well. Book smart people have sufficient information and data, but usually lack practical application of it. Why be smart if you can't use it? I discard knowledge all the time once it becomes old news or useless to me.

Everyone here is saying that any type can have one or the other or both, that is true, but street smarts would come naturally to a Se type. Street smarts is about being aware of your surroundings. No doubt, Se's are more in tune with their present environment. Also certain types have more preference to gaining knowledge just for the sake of gaining knowledge. Like I was saying about practical knowledge, I think I can speak for at least ESTP's, we are more interested in practical knowledge. If we have no use for it, then why learn it? Then again, MBTI types are not concrete, but more so a general overview. A foundation of such.


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## f8alz28 (Nov 13, 2014)

I think both are important, it's good to develop both. Book smarts can bring success in academia and a reputation of competence. Street smarts can get you connected with the right people in the right places. Street smarts also hone the skill of knowing what to do in a situation where something wasn't taught. Book smarts are better for thinking. Street smarts are better for taking action. Book smart gets you knowledge, street smart gets you practical wisdom. I can benefit from being a little more book smart.


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## f8alz28 (Nov 13, 2014)

Bassmasterzac said:


> Street smart. Better survivability. Easier life.
> 
> Everyone here is saying that any type can have one or the other or both, that is true, but street smarts would come naturally to a Se type. Street smarts is about being aware of your surroundings. No doubt, Se's are more in tune with their present environment. Also certain types have more preference to gaining knowledge just for the sake of gaining knowledge. Like I was saying about practical knowledge, I think I can speak for at least ESTP's, we are more interested in practical knowledge. If we have no use for it, then why learn it? Then again, MBTI types are not concrete, but more so a general overview. A foundation of such.


I generally agree; and I pride myself in being rather street smart, every once in a while I'll pwn someone in a weird complex subject but those cases are far in between. I've had an all out argument about pi with my geometry teacher, arguing that it was pointless. I pretty much argued that the guy who invented the wheel didn't fucking use pi.

Geometry teacher was like:


> roud: But f8alz28, how do you measure circumference without pi?


And my response:


> With a tape measure like normal people! :dry:


As an ESTP I was never good in school up to high school and undergrad, that was for the book smarts; except for the subjects I did for a living every day. For example, didn't do so well in easy subjects like anthropology, history, and social science (note I said they were easy to me, thus no challenge and therefore no motivation; only had to take them as requirements); the book smarts had it there, what's the practical application in those subjects? But I did major awesome in all classes that pertained to what I was going to school for (marketing and finance) and had a actual hands on experience with (management); the bookies couldn't believe it. I'm currently in a place where it's good to have practical knowledge and the willingness to jump in and think on the spot; BUT succeeding where I'm at now also requires the study skills/habits that the book smarts have naturally.

What function does an ESTP have to develop for book smarts? If Ti is auxiliary and Ni is inferior, what exactly does that mean? What about the shadow functions? If an ESTP has hit the age where their pertinent cognitive functions should have developed/emerged but haven't, what needs to be done? I've already made friends and study groups with the relevant people.


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## dweeb (Feb 18, 2015)

azrinsani said:


> Sensors = Street Smart
> 
> Intuitives = Book Smart


nawww

i think it's a matter of which functions you use, really. i think Fi-Te users are more inclined to be _naturally_ street smart because they're not easily fooled and don't give a fuck about being polite (i say this with love!). i think the reason some people get roped into stupid scams (pyramid schemes, for example) is because they say yes when they want to say no for fear of offending others. self-awareness gets you a long way in life. for example, knowing what you want and knowing how you want it and what you are and aren't willing to do to get it. it helps prevent you from doing shit you don't like. i have no experience or evidence to back this up but i'd say Fe-Ti users are more likely to be the manipulators, which is _sort of_ a brand of street smarts.

reminds me of a quote i really love...

"Let me ask you something. Why don't people trust their instincts? They sense something is wrong, someone is walking too close behind them... You knew something was wrong, but you came back into the house. Did I force you, did I drag you? No. All I had to do was offer you a drink. It's hard to believe the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain but, you know what? It is, and they always come willingly."

i think we should break street smarts down into different subcategories and then assign functions to those subcategories. that would be good. i would do it but it requires effort and i am just way too lazy a person. that is my biggest issue with this question... there are so many different kinds of street smarts that it is difficult for me to narrow down a list of which types i think are most this or most that or least this or least that.

would a hacker be considered book smart or street smart? or both? a lot of hacking is social engineering, or so i've read (lol book smart idiot), which makes me lean more towards the latter... but knowledge of computers and databases and all that technical shit has me leaning the opposite way.

anyway, i think it's hilarious how some of the intuitives on here are so hell bent on making themselves appear all head-in-the-clouds and insightful that they'll pretend to have no connection at all to the outside world/reality to hold up this "intuitive" facade. i don't think a lot of people here even know what intuitive means...

i think i would rather have more street smarts but that is subject to change

a well developed INTJ can be very street smart. the "best" drug dealers i know are INTJs, with ISTPs coming in second. i think ESFPs and ENTJs are also very smart in the regard. i tie good people skills in with street smarts, though. ENFPs, ESTJs and ESTPs are pretty good, too.

ESFJs, from my experience, are pretty clueless all around. surprisingly no offense intended. ENTPs are smart but not street smart, although they have a lot of potential to be.

i'd say INTPs and ENTJs are the most book smart. ISxJs as well.

what was the last question?



azrinsani said:


> OKay I'm rephrasing
> 
> Se users = Street Smart
> 
> Does this make sense?


yes. much better.



Immemorial said:


> Book smart = Any type.
> 
> Street smart = Any type.


sure, but i figured this thread was about brainstorming and finding out which types are more predisposed to have one or the other. i like these questions because it's fun to speculate. when i see answers like this i always think of those ads that tell everyone they're beautiful, special, perfect in their own way, etc. if you are going to give answers like that then you should back up why you think any type can be book smart or street smart. not that i disagree because i think you are right but answers like yours don't breed much intelligent discussion



Bassmasterzac said:


> Street smart. Better survivability. Easier life.
> 
> I think common sense and wisdom is more powerful.
> 
> ...


i like this answers. very well thought-out. i think if you have enough street smarts you could possibly fake being book smart


on another note i need to stop donating blood FUCK


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## hksfdgknsjbdklrafbku (Jan 2, 2015)

dweeb said:


> anyway, i think it's hilarious how some of the intuitives on here are so hell bent on making themselves appear all head-in-the-clouds and insightful that they'll pretend to have no connection at all to the outside world/reality to hold up this "intuitive" facade. i don't think a lot of people here even know what intuitive means...


It's not always deliberate, although I do agree.


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## cardinalfire (Dec 10, 2009)

cardinalfire said:


> You two have got to be joking. :crazy:
> 
> Try becoming a teacher, first of all you have to be very bookish, it's VERY HARD, VERY DIFFICULT, and YOU HAVE TO HAVE GREAT People skills. It's hardly a walk in the park.
> 
> I'm proud to be book smart, in fact, none of you could even type on this forum without having some book smarts, how else do you learn to read and write, learn or do math, etc etc. Practical street smart skills are useless without any theory behind them, and knowledge is wasted if it isn't put to use. So they are both required.


argh I sound weird here. Though I still maintain that book smarts and street smarts go hand in hand or having a good balance is ideal, though I think in a lot of day to day situations street smarts can help more, depends.


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## Pressed Flowers (Oct 8, 2014)

Book smart! In my (warped) experience self-proclaimed street smart people can be really annoying and condescending. 

I don't expect that to be the common experience with street smart people, but it's been mine.


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## Sourpuss (Aug 9, 2014)

You can probably live better with street smarts. To me street smarts implies a certain level of social skills, which are more important than actual knowledge. If you can't network, if you can't influence people, then book smarts aren't too useful.


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## Metalize (Dec 18, 2014)

Street smarts work better for most people. But a very high level of "book" smart (to which I'd include abstract thinking skills, not simply accumulation of useless facts) is best.


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## AliceKettle (Feb 2, 2014)

I feel like it's good to have a healthy balance of both book smarts and street smarts.


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## Despotic Nepotist (Mar 1, 2014)

azrinsani said:


> Book smart = No people skills


5000% disagree


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## dracula (Apr 5, 2015)

I value book smartness more but I think it has to be accompanied by a certain level of street smartness. There are different kinds of book smartness though and I find the most universally useful one to be possessing enough general knowledge and additional information related to many fields. For example, a very intelligent friend thought Somalis had something to do with Hungary (and there were tons of other incidents like that) - I think that book smartness is extremely valuable if the basics are taken care of.


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## ArBell (Feb 10, 2014)

Street smart.


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## redspades (Jan 20, 2015)

touche about the MBTI.


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