how important are "street smarts"?

[shart_attack]

I remember when I was growing up, and there were some corporations like JCPenny and Sears which would make prospective employees take tests loaded with tricky questions designed to expose those prospective employees' knowledge of things those corporations considered to have been in some way fundamentally subversive and/ or not consistent with what those employers saw as positive employee traits — in short, "street smarts."

I've little to no doubt most of us are familiar with these sorts of test questions, which typically went something like:

• True or false: Billy just sold drugs to an undercover cop, and didn't go to jail. Billy is most likely a snitch.
• Sharon does not have a job or a significant other, but she leaves the house every night at 10 p.m., more often than not doesn't return until 7 a.m., and never seems to have any problems paying her bills. She is likely a prostitute.
• Tom has been unemployed for years, yet he somehow manages to drive two BMWs and feed his housewife and three children in a suburban three-story home. He can often be seen hanging out downtown with gentlemen dressed in three-piece suits. Tom is probably in the Mob.

Why all the negative hysteria with regard to "street smarts" from some employers in bygone years?

Isn't it good to know some things about the way truth, justice and the so-called "American way" really work — particularly in a down economy?

Are "street smarts" important to you with regard to your children?

Might they save your daughter from being raped, or your son from joining a gang?

 

[Zmrzlina]

Sounds about as scientific as using Myers-Briggs to select candidates. (sarcasm)

 

[ogibillm]

"street smarts" are just something stupid people made up so they can claim to be smart.

 

[shart_attack]

"street smarts" are just something stupid people made up so they can claim to be smart.

So tell us what you know about them then, smart guy.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions....for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

 

[ogibillm]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions....for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

exactly. Sharon may work a night shift, and the police may have no interest in Billy at that time.

street smarts are not real.

 

[shart_attack]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions.

Right, right. "Better safe than sorry," though, yes?

...for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

Good "street smarts" are in my view beneficial with regard to all of those things.

Tom may have indeed inherited money or won the lottery. But if he has no "street smarts," he probably won't have much of it for very long.

If Tom is scamming a US government entitlement program, he'd better be pretty good at it. He'd better have a prolific knowledge of "street smarts," if he wants to stay a free man.

If Tom has an online business, having some "street smarts"-ish knowledge of how computer hackers use cyberattacks to steal from online businesses is probably a good thing, yes?

 

[shart_attack]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions....for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

exactly. Sharon may work a night shift, and the police may have no interest in Billy at that time.

street smarts are not real.

It would be very fun to meet you sometime.

 

[ogibillm]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions.

Right, right. "Better safe than sorry," though, yes?

...for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

Good "street smarts" are in my view beneficial with regard to all of those things.

Tom may have indeed inherited money or won the lottery. But if he has no "street smarts," he probably won't have much of it for very long.

If Tom is scamming a US government entitlement program, he'd better be pretty good at it. He'd better have a prolific knowledge of "street smarts," if he wants to stay a free man.

If Tom has an online business, having some "street smarts"-ish knowledge of how computer hackers use cyberattacks to steal from online businesses is probably a good thing, yes?

how would you define street smarts?

 

[Manonthestreet]

As Felix Unger would say ..."Never assume, because when you do..........". Situational awareness, keeping your eyes open and actually noticing things I endorse.

 

[shart_attack]

Isn't what you described simply making assumptions.

Right, right. "Better safe than sorry," though, yes?

...for instance Tom could have inherited money....won the lottery.....be scamming welfare office......have an online business.........

Good "street smarts" are in my view beneficial with regard to all of those things.

Tom may have indeed inherited money or won the lottery. But if he has no "street smarts," he probably won't have much of it for very long.

If Tom is scamming a US government entitlement program, he'd better be pretty good at it. He'd better have a prolific knowledge of "street smarts," if he wants to stay a free man.

If Tom has an online business, having some "street smarts"-ish knowledge of how computer hackers use cyberattacks to steal from online businesses is probably a good thing, yes?

how would you define street smarts?

Just as I suspected about you.

If you really have to ask someone that, then it's probably a good thing for you that I created this thread, genius.

"You ain't a lawyer no more, Dave. You a gangster now. On the other side. A whole new ball game. You can't learn about it in school, and you can't have a late start." — Carlito Brigante (played by Al Pacino), in the 1993 film Carlito's Way.

 

[shart_attack]

As Felix Unger would say ..."Never assume, because when you do..........". Situational awareness, keeping your eyes open and actually noticing things I endorse.

Yeah?

Well, take a job as a third-shift clerk in an inner-city convenience store sometime, and then come back here and tell us how stupid it is to assume things.

 

[ogibillm]

Right, right. "Better safe than sorry," though, yes?



Good "street smarts" are in my view beneficial with regard to all of those things.

Tom may have indeed inherited money or won the lottery. But if he has no "street smarts," he probably won't have much of it for very long.

If Tom is scamming a US government entitlement program, he'd better be pretty good at it. He'd better have a prolific knowledge of "street smarts," if he wants to stay a free man.

If Tom has an online business, having some "street smarts"-ish knowledge of how computer hackers use cyberattacks to steal from online businesses is probably a good thing, yes?

how would you define street smarts?

Just as I suspected about you.

If you really have to ask someone that, then it's probably a good thing for you that I created this thread, genius.

"You ain't a lawyer no more, Dave. You a gangster now. On the other side. A whole new ball game. You can't learn about it in school, and you can't have a late start." — Carlito Brigante (played by Al Pacino), in the 1993 film Carlito's Way.

or, as i suspected, street smarts don't exist, they're just made up so dumb people can call themselves smart.

 

[peach174]

how would you define street smarts?

Just as I suspected about you.

If you really have to ask someone that, then it's probably a good thing for you that I created this thread, genius.

"You ain't a lawyer no more, Dave. You a gangster now. On the other side. A whole new ball game. You can't learn about it in school, and you can't have a late start." — Carlito Brigante (played by Al Pacino), in the 1993 film Carlito's Way.

or, as i suspected, street smarts don't exist, they're just made up so dumb people can call themselves smart.

You have very obviously never lived in a dangerous neighborhood.

 

[Manonthestreet]

I fail to see how making false assumptions = safety.

 

[shart_attack]

Just as I suspected about you.

If you really have to ask someone that, then it's probably a good thing for you that I created this thread, genius.

"You ain't a lawyer no more, Dave. You a gangster now. On the other side. A whole new ball game. You can't learn about it in school, and you can't have a late start." — Carlito Brigante (played by Al Pacino), in the 1993 film Carlito's Way.

or, as i suspected, street smarts don't exist, they're just made up so dumb people can call themselves smart.

You have very obviously never lived in a dangerous neighborhood.

Or ever met any dangerous "dumb people".

 

[shart_attack]

I fail to see how making false assumptions = safety.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's exactly why you wouldn't last an hour on "the street."

"The streets" don't care if your assumptions are false or not: they'll get you because you don't assume.

 

[Pennywise]

Street smarts usually run concurrent with common sense. These are survival skills that are inherent in people and develop as they grow up and experience life beyond the comfort of the nest. They are also skills lacking in most people who tend to obsess over social position or are easily impressed with those in academia.

Barrack Obama is a man with no street smarts and no common sense, for instance. He's what I call an educated idiot.

 

[ogibillm]

Street smarts usually run concurrent with common sense. These are survival skills that are inherent in people and develop as they grow up and experience life beyond the comfort of the nest. They are also skills lacking in most people who tend to obsess over social position or are easily impressed with those in academia.

Barrack Obama is a man with no street smarts and no common sense, for instance. He's what I call an educated idiot.

this reeks of jealousy and unfounded but 'gut' thinking.

 

[Pennywise]

Street smarts usually run concurrent with common sense. These are survival skills that are inherent in people and develop as they grow up and experience life beyond the comfort of the nest. They are also skills lacking in most people who tend to obsess over social position or are easily impressed with those in academia.

Barrack Obama is a man with no street smarts and no common sense, for instance. He's what I call an educated idiot.

this reeks of jealousy and unfounded but 'gut' thinking.

That's funny because I have an advanced college degree.