Book Smart, Street Smart, Or A Bit Of Both? Get Your Sheldon/Penny Score
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Lifestyle
Whether someone is about to tackle a new job or be thrown into a group of strangers, it's important to identify all of their strong suits and weak spots before being thrust into an unfamiliar experience.
For instance, some people have to get their hands dirty if they're ever going to learn how to do something. In other words, they need to physically perform the task before the understand how it works. Meanwhile, there are others who can simply read a few chapters of a book and have a firm grasp of the subject matter through nothing but words alone.
And when it comes to social situations, the difference can be even more dramatic, with someone people drawing all of their energy of off being surrounded by others, while another person could feel totally drained and out of place during the exact same situation.
These are just a few basic difference between what it means to be street smart or book smart, and chances are that most people have a bit of both in them. Yet, it's never a bad idea to reevaluate where one lands on the spectrum. Not only will this save a lot of time for when someone wants to learn something down the line, but it will also give them an idea of the areas that could use a little improvement.
So let's find out who's more of a Penny and who's more of a Sheldon!
Ever pull an all-nighter to party?
Some people live for the weekends. They just can’t wait to get out of work on Friday and meet up with their friends to hang for the rest of the night — which might just end up stretching out until the wee hours of the next morning. So is this your kind of night? Or are you tired even thinking about it?
How about to study?
Those very same people who might not be able to spend all night hanging out with their friends could easily pull an all-nighter if they had the pressure of a huge test looming over their heads. Does this sound like you? Or are you happy to pack in the studying whenever you start feeling the least bit sleepy?
Ever ridden a roller coaster?
Riding a roller coaster might not seem like all that big of a deal to some people. Thousands of people ride them every day, after all. But that doesn’t mean they’re always 100% safe, and for some people who put cation above having fun, that’s enough of a reason to avoid them altogether.
Ever gotten detention?
Every school has a different set of rules for what earns someone a stint in detention. At some establishment, a student would probably have to skip school or get into a fight to land themselves in detention. Whereas other places made it a form of punishment for simply missing a couple of homework assignments.
Ever read an entire fantasy/ sci-fi series?
Being nerdy doesn’t necessarily mean someone is book smart. But it’s certainly a good start. Luckily, it’s a lot cooler to be a nerd these days than it was just a few decades ago. So are you the type of person who stayed up all night when the new Harry Potter book finally hit shelves?
Ever binge-watched an entire show in one weekend?
Back in the days of network TV, shows used to run for over 20-episodes per season — which would be a lot to consume in just one weekend. But now, streaming service drop entire 10 to 13-episode seasons all at once, which isn’t all that hard to burn through in just a couple of evenings. So have you done it?
Ever broken a bone?
On average, every person will break at least one bone in their lifetime. More often than not, it ends up being a toe — with many not even realizing that they’ve broken it in the first place since they usually end up healing fine on their own anyway. So have you broken any bones that you’re aware of?
Ever sung karaoke?
Even if you’re someone who has a beautiful singing voice, getting up in front of a group of people is never an easy feat. So for many people, the idea of singing karaoke is an absolutely nightmare. But for others, it’s their idea of a weekend well spent with friends.
Ever fixed a flat?
The one issue about being book smart is that you might not end up getting your hands dirty all that often. So while book smart people may easily understand everything they have to do to fix a flat, they might be too scared to actually attempt the task themselves and end up calling triple A instead.
Ever spent the night in a car?
Ever been on a road or a camping trip and didn’t want to splurge on a hotel. Even the cheapest of hotels these days can easily cost around 100 bucks a night, and one could certainly save money by crashing in a parking lot. But some people would gladly fork over the cash for something that feels a lot safer.
Ever been suspended?
Detention is usually just a slap on the wrist. But being suspended from school has much more of a negative connotation. One usually has to do something a lot more serious to land themselves in in-school or out of school suspension. So have you ever found yourself suspended from school?
Ever pretended to be sick to skip school?
Sometimes you just need a day to catch your breath and forget about the stresses of school. But when you’re a kid, you can’t exactly call in sick like you can as an adult — meaning you may just have to put on a bit of a performance to fool your parents first.
Ever pretended to have a fake accent upon meeting someone new?
Some people are already so uncomfortable meeting someone new, that they would never pretend to impersonate someone or put on a fake accent. Meanwhile, other people are so comfortable in their own skin and could not care less about what other people think of them, and they may like to have a bit of fun when interacting with strangers.
Ever pretended to be a guest on a talk show?
We all talk to ourselves inside our own head. But do you ever talk to yourself as someone else? It’s not uncommon for people to pretend they're on a talk show. In fact, it’s a good way to help sort out ideas and life goals — so long as it doesn’t become a distraction from actually getting work done.
Ever had an office romance?
If you’ve ever worked with a large group of your peers, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve developed a crush on one of your co-workers at one point. But have you ever been brave enough to actually make your feelings known? Or do you always strive to maintain a level of professionalism in the workplace?
Ever snoop through a significant other’s phone?
When you start up a new relationship, it’s normal to wonder if your significant other is just as invested in the relationship as you are. Which might lead to you wanting to snoop through their phone to see what they’re saying about you or who else they’re texting. But have you ever actually done it?
Ever played a role-playing game, like Dungeons & Dragons?
If you’ve never played something like Dungeons & Dragons, you might not realize that the game comes with some massive manuals, as well as utilizes a bit of math throughout the gameplay. So while there’s a fair share of make-believe involved, it’s still very much grounded in reality and instructions.
Ever created a fake social media account?
There are numerous reasons someone might create a fake social media account, from anywhere to wanting to play a prank on a best friend to snoop on an ex-signifiant other. But have you ever actually gone through with it? Or does the idea of pretending to be someone else terrify you?
Ever been to a casino?
Gambling may be legal in certain parts of the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less risky. Knowing how to be a good poker player, for example, doesn’t just entail knowing the math side of the game, it also involves knowing how to read people like a book — which is definitely a quality of being street smart.
Ever traveled to a different country?
If you’re someone who is book smart, you might think that you can learn everything about a new country simply by reading books and watching documentaries. But sometimes the best way to learn anything is to simply immerse yourself in an uncomfortable situation. So have you ever found yourself out of your element in another country?
Ever owned a fake ID?
Owning a fake ID might be a stupid thing to do, but for many, the opportunities that come with appearing older than you actually are might just be worth the risk. So were you one of those kids who couldn’t wait to be a grown up already? Or were you happy to wait to enjoy the privileges of adulthood?
Ever lied during an interview?
During a job interview, everyone wants to put their best foot forward. But if you’re up for your dream job, you might find that it’s worth stretching the truth a bit to land the position — especially if it’s something the potential employer has no way to verify. So have you ever lied during a job interview?
Ever stiffed a waiter?
Because most waiters rely on tips to earn a decent wage, it’s become common practice to at least leave a 15% tip with the check. But this is also the time that the patron gets to sound off about the quality of service. So have you ever been so upset that you left your waiter nothing at all?
Ever keep a journal or a diary?
It’s not as if street smart people don’t enjoy the written word. Just that they'd probably rather be conversing with others then have their head buried in a book. So are you the type of person who likes to chronicle their life in a journal or a diary? Or do you count on pictures and memory to do the trick?
Ever been fired from a job?
Getting fired from a job doesn’t necessarily mean you did a bad job at work. But that certainly wouldn’t help matters. Some street smart people might find a job so pointless that they just give up entirely at performing the tasks. Meanwhile, book smart people might still feel the need to toe the line until they find something new.
Ever pretended to text to avoid human interaction?
If you’re someone who best learns through a book or explicit instructions, then you might find a good amount of human interaction to be a bit on the awkward side. These days, we all have the perfect crutch for avoiding awkward conversation by looking at our cell phones — for better or worse.
Any tattoos?
Pretty much anyone from any social class or walk of life can have a tattoo these days. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less terrifying to get. So are you the type of person who has no problem making such a permanent commitment? Or would you never dream of putting something on your body that couldn’t be removed?
Ever prank phone call a friend?
If you’ve been friends with someone for a long time, there’s a good chance that you’re going to end up messing with each other at one point or another. So long as the friendship is strong enough, they might even come to appreciate a cleverly played prank which was made at their expense.
Any problems using an unfamiliar bathroom?
Some people’s bodies simply won’t cooperate with any type of dramatic change, and we probably all know people who only like to use their own bathroom. Maybe that person happens to be you. Or are you someone you can use the bathroom anywhere at any time with absolutely no hesitation?
Ever gone larping?
Many of you are probably wonder right now what exactly is “larping” anyway? It’s simply a popular abbreviation for “live action role-playing,” which would basically be a real-world equivalent to something like Dungeons & Dragons. It also takes a unique individual who is both book and street smart to participate in.
