What do you call people who are book smart, but not street smart?

[Tijuana]

I dont know about using the word street smart, but maybe common sense? I have alot of friends who are gifted and in university (90%+ averages) but tend to do alot, and I mean alot of stupid things. So I'm just wondering, is there some sort of slang for these type of people?

There was this 1 kid in one of my classes, one of the smartest. We somehow got into a conversation about philosophy and how we can actually be dreaming our entire lives, like my mind could be making up everything I see, all the people I talk to etc and he seriously said that that is impossible because he is the *real person* at first we laughed but he stayed serious and the more we told him, its impossible to tell who is the *real person* out of a group of people but he kept saying dumb things like I can feel my hand, so I know I'm real. I lost all confidence in him for the future because I know you need to have some bit of common sense

[deep]

You can be educated/uneducated.
You can be intelligent/stupid.
You can be smart/dumb.
You can be wise/foolish.
You can be savvy/naive.

You can be or not be any of the above. I know some very intelligent people who are incredibly dumb and naive when it comes to the real world. I know some very savvy guys (who make millions) without being able to add, subtract, or remember anything from university. There are many different types of intelligence, and people are rare indeed that have it all.

[bubble.tea]

nerds?

[ItemFinder]

Naive is the word you want.

[firesword2007]

nerds?

+1 ... or bookworms ... basicly kids who get all their "smarts" from books and not from real world experiences

[Rembrandt100]

So what was it you were smoking before this conversation?

The whole thing sounds to me like it was 30 years ago and the dude next to me was questioning if the colour that I saw as yellow was the same colour he saw as yellow.

Dave

[Justin]

Why do I get the feeling that your friend is not the one with issues?

[ZenOps]

Dictionary Ninjas.

[i6s1]

Why do I get the feeling that your friend is not the one with issues?

+1.

I find that people who describe themselves as "street smart" are usually what I consider to be "stupid".

[nickia]

+1.

I find that people who describe themselves as "street smart" are usually what I consider to be "stupid".

I have no experience with that but I'm more inclined to agree with you.

[gei]

You call them smart.

Generally, people who are not "book smart" (ie didn't go to school, aren't particularly good at any subject, etc etc) try and make themselves feel better by claming that people who actually ARE smart aren't "street" smart like them.

In reality it's quite meaningless. Either you're smart or you aren't, period.

And that conversation you are quoting in your original post proves absolutely nothing. Perhaps YOU are the one who isn't "street" smart?

[rey1867]

You call them smart.

Generally, people who are not "book smart" (ie didn't go to school, aren't particularly good at any subject, etc etc) try and make themselves feel better by claming that people who actually ARE smart aren't "street" smart like them.

In reality it's quite meaningless. Either you're smart or you aren't, period.

And that conversation you are quoting in your original post proves absolutely nothing. Perhaps YOU are the one who isn't "street" smart?

completely agree with you. btw, philosophy isn't the greatest thing to measure someone's intelligence on because most people consider it to be bs

[vistaliving]

There was this 1 kid in one of my classes, one of the smartest. We somehow got into a conversation about philosophy and how we can actually be dreaming our entire lives, like my mind could be making up everything I see, all the people I talk to etc and he seriously said that that is impossible because he is the *real person* at first we laughed but he stayed serious and the more we told him, its impossible to tell who is the *real person* out of a group of people but he kept saying dumb things like I can feel my hand, so I know I'm real. I lost all confidence in him for the future because I know you need to have some bit of common sense

The MATRIX!!!

[nickia]

There was this 1 kid in one of my classes, one of the smartest. We somehow got into a conversation about philosophy and how we can actually be dreaming our entire lives, like my mind could be making up everything I see, all the people I talk to etc and he seriously said that that is impossible because he is the *real person* at first we laughed but he stayed serious and the more we told him, its impossible to tell who is the *real person* out of a group of people but he kept saying dumb things like I can feel my hand, so I know I'm real. I lost all confidence in him for the future because I know you need to have some bit of common sense

It does not mean he has no common sense just because he has different take on the issue of "what is real".
Ironically, he might be thinking "omfg that stupid kid in my last class kept talking about that we are living in a dream world. He must be nuts. I feel sorry for him Lolz."

[i6s1]

"Street smart" vs. "book smart" is just like "good personality" vs. "attractive".