The Debate (no.15), Street smart is better than book smart. 18/2/2024

INTRODUCTION

Whether book smart or street smart, for one to survive in this world, one must be smart. Book smart means being very intelligent, most especially in almost all areas, fields and subjects. Being current and knowing what is happening I'm the world. Being top of your class. Street smart means knowing the world, how it works, knowing what to do, how to do it and when to do it to survive in the harsh world. Being both book smart and street smart is very good but if I'm to chose one between the two, I would go for street smart.

WHY STREET SMART

For one to survive in today's world, one has to be street smart. A person who is book smart may not be able to manourevre himself out of situations that doesn't have to do with books or school, he will always be stranded in the practical world but this is not so for street smart. A street smart person will survive with or without education, even with his skills, this is why, currently, even when people have graduated from universities, they go to learn practical skills, knowing they need it to survive. A street smart person can survive in school doing odd jobs and he thinks outside the box but this is not so for a book smart person because he depends on his intelligence in relation to academics.

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iStock.com

Their survival in the society

Now let's look at their survival in the society. A book smart person who travels to where he or she had never been before especially states of places with street urchins will get ripped off in minutes because from the way he or she behaves, people will know this one is Johnny just come but a street smart person will walk as if he or she belongs there. An example is Lagos, for one to survive in Lagos State, one must be street smart. Whether you are looking for houses through agent, looking for work or going to places, you must be street smart to survive there, if not agents will get money from you and you end up not getting house, if you are going to places, you have to jump from one bus to the other, all these can't be possible without being street smart. Only street smart can survive in the traffic hold up. If you are not street smart and know that you are not to use your phone in traffic, it might get stolen same with your valuables and you might even get kidnapped.

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Environment

A book smart person might not get interested in his environment or in people around him. All what matters to him is waking up, going to school or work and back home but a street smart person studies and notices his environment and all the hidden corners in and out, also make friends around the environment whether with gateman, janitor, mechanic, hawker etc, knowing that these people might help him out someday. A book smart person might look down on agberos thinking they are all full of troubles but a street smart person greets them, gets to know them and relate from afar because they might be his help someday.

Street smart notices almost everything

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In the face of trouble

A book smart who finds himself in the wrong vehicle might panic and might not know how to get out but a street smart might think smart and act hold while immediately thinking of what to do. A book smart can easily be duped but a street smart might end up tricking the fraudster. Example, a book smart might give out information if he receives a call maybe from his bank but a street smart will never fall for their tricks.
A street smart knows when there is trouble ahead from the body language of people and knows when to go back but not so for street smart

Bargaining power

In our current world and especially in this hard times in Nigeria, one has to be street smart to survive. As a book smart, one might not be able to bargain when going to purchase things but a street smart will act smart and but quality at even lower price. Where a particular item isn't available, a street smart will substitute it with another. A street smart looks for a way to survive, he doesn't look down on any job but a book smart will want only white collar jobs and can settle for just one job.

Risk taking

Most of the people who are book smart end up working for street smart because a street smart thinks outside the box, he or she is practical and realistic about life, he or she is not afraid of risk taking and even doing jobs lower than him. A street smart person associates a lot and through that gets information that will help him sooner or later. I rather be a street smart than a book smart tho being both is better. In order to make it in Nigeria, one has to be street smart so I think being street smart is better.

I notice everything in the bus as a street smart

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Your bargaining power matters as a street smart
Shot from infinix note 5

I invite @eveetim, @uduak3287, @unyime23 to participate in book smart vs street smart debate.

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uduak3287 (63) · 9 months ago

Thanks for the Invite and beautiful write up. You have a little issues in your pictures. Try sorting them out, and add more paragraphs and justify your text. This would make your post stand out.

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destinedhanik (60) · 9 months ago

Thank you, I'll do that.

1 vote

steemcurator09 (51) · 9 months ago

This post has been upvoted through -Steemcurator09.

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