Find your way

Book smarts vs. street smarts – which is better?

I had street smarts first, because of my circumstances.

I grew up in Lebanon and the first part of my youth was spent in war, so I didn’t attend school regularly as I would’ve here and I was limited in my habits for studying.

When I came to Canada, at the young age of eleven, I was faced with challenges. Learning new languages – English and French, this is what’s practiced here in Canada. Plus, we lived very humbly and not in the best neighborhoods, so having street smarts was vital for survival.

I used my street smarts everyday – in all aspects of my life.

For example, sometimes the kids in the neighborhood weren’t so kind to me, because I didn’t speak English properly. Maybe they were just tough kids with their own problems at home and weren’t taught to be nice to others.

I used to get bullied and I’d have to fight at times. After awhile, I learned to outsmart them so I wouldn’t get picked on anymore and they started to actually like me.

I learned all this by watching them and saw how things went.

I hung out with the older kids and impressed them – so I had their respect, the younger ones just followed them. It took some time and a few scars but I figured it out. Street smarts taught me about intentions. Who’s got the right ones in your favor and who doesn’t.

You learn this quick.

I would have loved the opportunity to have more book smarts, just out of shear curiosity, to see where and what I would’ve done with them. Because, as I got older, started my own business and grew inside as a person, I realized how important it is to have book smarts – in order to be really well rounded.

I believe it’s good to have both, if you can. Sometimes we don’t get to choose as children which one is more important to learn first. I think surviving off just one, depends on your surroundings.