Hidden Intellectualism

In Gerald Graff’s essay, Hidden Intellectualism, he argues that “street smart” is essential just like being book-smart. Graff claims “we associate the educated life, the life of the mind, too narrowly,” testing kids academically is a great way to determine how well they can apply their knowledge in a limited area. Educated life can be learn, taught, and picked up. Street smarts on the other hand has to be experience, living in a perfect community all your life will never teach a person how to become street smart. I agree with Graff’s believes that street smarts beat out book smarts in our culture because in my opinion book smarts have limitations, a person is limited to areas that they have read about. On the contrary, street smarts can allow a person to try out everything. Knowing how the world revolves around, who to speck to, how to speck to that person. Hence, academics can never replace or value more than street smarts.

To illustrate his thesis even further, Graff uses personal experience to support his argument. After World War II, just a block away from his neighborhood was African Americans, Native Americans, and “hillbilly” whites who fled postwar joblessness in the South and Appalachia. The middle class refer to them as “hoods.” Enjoying sports ever since he was younger, sports have played an important role in his education and life. Reading sport magazines has allowed him to improve his skills in English class. Graff’s view of the 1950s was that being academically smart is important but having something interesting is as important.

I agree with Graff’s idea that schools should pay more attention to people who are more street smart, and that students have so much to learn besides math and English alone. Should pursuit a something that is in interest besides just following up on what’s happening in class. For example, during my earlier years in high school besides writing essays and reading books I look towards internships and voluntary work to widen my knowledge of the world, not just academically.