Book smarts vs. common sense - Intelligence thunderdome.

Keyser Soze · 09-12-2002, 05:49 PM

I often hear people say that so and so is relatively intelligent but lacks common sense.

How do you define common sense? Is it street smarts? The ability to read people?

Do you value book smarts more or common sense more?

I often find that people who are not very intelligent think they have tons of common sense by default, as if they are trying to compensate for being morons.

Maynard · 09-12-2002, 05:51 PM

I usually find that people with lots of book smarts have very little common sense, or street smarts.

Metalfan · 09-12-2002, 05:52 PM

Common sense/street smarts will save your life more often than book smarts will.

virgingrrl · 09-12-2002, 05:55 PM

its common sense to know that people with book smarts have no common sense. at all.

Arthur Dent · 09-12-2002, 05:57 PM

You've obviously never spent any time around a tech school. I've know people who could do highly advanced math in their sleep and quote any theorem from any science class they ever took. but ask them how to put an airconditioner in a window or how to deal with some everyday situation, and they are completely lost.

To me, "common sense" is the ability to evaluate a situation and come up with a way to deal with that situation without any special training or experience. The ability to see A and B and figure out C. Like figuring out how to fix a loose door hinge by sticking toothpicks in the screw holes before putting the screws back in, or something like that.

OAS · 09-12-2002, 05:58 PM

Most people that I deal with or know that are book smart heavy are total failures in pretty much every social or survival aspect of their lives.

I stopped hiring any MBA's seven years ago and have built a much more functional and effective organization in 5 years then I ever could have done continuing to hire MBA's

Keyser Soze · 09-12-2002, 06:01 PM

I think Dent is referring to a special type of intelligence called "Reasoning", people who can pick up patterns are this type as well. To determine or conclude by logical thinking. I don't know if thats common sense per-se though, that requires intelligence.

I think theres a flipside to the booksmart people having no common sense. People who are dumb often think they are overflowing with common sense, its almost like a defense mechanism for them.

Maynard · 09-12-2002, 06:01 PM

You looking to hire OAS? :-D

OAS · 09-12-2002, 06:04 PM

Maynard, I may make an MBA requirement exception in your case.

Doc · 09-12-2002, 06:29 PM

Dent...you read my mind

Seriously guys, spend some time at an engineering school and you'll see what he means. They are full of people who can't change their oil, can't start or hold a conversation with someone they've never met before, can't wash their own laundry, etc. There's an inverse relationship between IQ and ability to be social normal person (with some exceptions of course). I think a big part of it might be that people who are really smart didn't do much as a kid other than their smart stuff, like reading, computer crap, chess. A big part of growing up is climbing trees, sports, shoplifting gum from the 7-11, interacting with real people. Parents of kids who are really intelligent sometimes don't push their kids to develop socially, they only focus on school stuff

I never understood what people meant by "street smarts". I can hold my own in a fight, I know when not to piss people off...is that street smarts? Or are "street smarts" just something somebody who wasn't too intelligent came up with to make themselves feel better.

virgingrrl · 09-12-2002, 06:32 PM

Quote:Seriously guys, spend some time at an engineering school and you'll see what he means.

i have. i am completely amazed sometimes at conversations i have with them. sure they can build things and are great at science and math,and say things like "ooooh look at me im talking calc 5" but they know shit about anything else.

Metalfan · 09-12-2002, 06:37 PM

and what's wrong with Calc 5???

Most engineering students can't find their fucking glasses when they are sitting on the tops of their heads the whole time.....ponderous man! :disappointed:

virgingrrl · 09-12-2002, 06:39 PM

nothing is wrong with calc 5....im just saying that is a class that i woule never in my right mind think to take. thats not where my brains are.

Arthur Dent · 09-12-2002, 06:39 PM

Quote:i have. i am completely amazed sometimes at conversations i have with them. sure they can build things and are great at science and math,and say things like "ooooh look at me im talking calc 5" but they know shit about anything else.

Those people always worried me. I'd be shooting pool in the lounge and they'd be just standing there talking about angle of trajectory and impact force. Give 'em a pool stick and they didn't even know how to hold it right.

Metalfan · 09-12-2002, 06:50 PM

Quote:thats not where my brains are.

are you referring to your arse, or just to other subject matter? :clueless:

i have no right having a degree in math.....i don't own a pocket protector and laugh at anal retentive nerds....go figure

Edited By Metalfan on Sep. 12 2002 at 2:51

virgingrrl · 09-12-2002, 06:52 PM

subject matter silly.

Doc · 09-12-2002, 06:53 PM

Hey, not all engineers are like that (ahem)

Quote:sure they can build things and are great at science and math,and say things like "ooooh look at me im talking calc 5" but they know shit about anything else.

I think a big part of that might be that being smart is a burden when you are young. Ever notice how most of the smart kids in middle and high school only hung out with other smart kids? It's because being smart means getting picked on, bullied, and a whole host of other unpleasant things.

Well, you have two choices when that happens. You can learn how to fight, or you can hide in a group of people that accept you and you find non-threatening...other smart kids.

So these kids spend a lot of time sheltered in their little group of other smart kids and don't experience other things. That may be while the vast majority of what smart people talk about is "smart guy stuff". It's not an ego thing, it's all they know

Arthur Dent · 09-12-2002, 07:01 PM

I'll buy that Doc. Explains why I'm an engineer and still fairly normal. I hung out with the dope smokin', drinkin', acid droppin' crew in highschool, even if I didn't partake myself. And yeah, I learned how to fight.

Also explains why i graduated college with a 2.6 average. :lol:

virgingrrl · 09-12-2002, 07:02 PM

Quote:That may be while the vast majority of what smart people talk about is "smart guy stuff". It's not an ego thing, it's all they know

very good point! i never thought of it that way. though i never really think of it as them being better then me, or smarter then me in anyway, i just have to ask them to "dumb it down" sometimes when im around. when its 10 or so guys talking "smart talk" its overwhelming sometimes. :crackhead:

Metalfan · 09-12-2002, 07:08 PM

meatflaps anybody? :lol: