Good morning,
Mr moderator.
Impartial panel of Judges.
Accurate timekeeper.
Co debaters.
And my dutiful comrades.
I am here to oppose the motion which says that,
Book smart is better than street smart, with these few points of mine…
To me, understanding the difference between book smart and street smart is like understanding the difference between;
Word smart and World smart.
Theory and Practical.
Acquired knowledge and
Experienced knowledge.
The Future and the Moment.
Know-what and know-how.
Intelligence and common sense.
Knowledge and wisdom.
Knowing a situation and being in a situation.
We live in two different worlds simultaneously, the imaginary world and the practical world. Our realities are confronted more by the experiences of the practical world than the information and ideas of the imaginary world. Street-smart people are more aware, more sensitive, more pragmatic and have more guts in daring the challenges of life, than book-smart people.
However, both types of smartness are valuable and need to complement each other in many contexts. Rationality while dealing with life’s challenges is the game plan of survival.
Children should be taught to have a balance of both in life because while street smart can get you pretty far, the lack of book smart can limit its effectiveness.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
