Is being book-smart underrated by society? I hasten to add that I am not practically smart at...

SW-User

It is underrated in UK. I think what is even worse is an almost pride in ignorance and not being boom smart. The disparaging of experts was a significant part of the leave campaign. Having said that, I can easily zone out and enjoy trashy TV lol.

Cierzo · M

In my opinion, it is underrated (or even mocked) in certain environments when it is more valued to follow realities or to know why this or that football team is playing so awfully this season.

There are others, however, who overrate reading many books, and do not realise reading is not a matter of quantity, but of knowing how to distil and make a good use of the knowledge that can be found in books.

When I was younger I used to despise those who did not read. Now I am ok with it. I realised that books are a door to knowledge, but so is nature, and a non-judgmental observation of people.

SW-User

Yes. At most it becomes the butt of all jokes in shows like the Big Bang Theory. I see that it's mostly the loud and over confident people that get the recognition from people easily, it's a strange world.

novembermoon · 51-55

It is not an easy thing at all to be book-smart. Yes. It is being undervalued and more and more we see people who are promoted because they are more 'people-smart' or 'street-smart'. I get tired and out of place when people discuss nothing but the price of cars or how much insurance they buy. Worse are the talk about who and whose kids are having what parties and so on. Those kind of talk bore me to tears. I notice from young that I do not like discussing people or events, but the underlying motivations behind things that happen. And it is not frequent at all to find like-minded ones. When I find them, I don't let them go.

Fallenfromgrace · F

I totally get where your coming from but you just need to do you and forget about what other people think.

Picklebobble · 56-60, M

Not sure if it's underrated or just belittled !
Soma for the masses will never appeal to the few who see it for what it is.

Invisible · 26-30, M

Not to be rude, but I think that your first mistake was thinking that you should be entitled to respect because you have political opinions. People should respect you as a person, and anything more is up to them, but you might have a hard time if you insist on calling them "average" people.

firefall · 61-69, M

Yes, I agree, it very much is undervalued in Society. Your last bit made me smile - back when I was working in places with cafeterias/canteens, I would always take a book and sit and read while i ate, because dear god, the conversation was so banal. I'm pretty sure I got a reputation for being standoffish at a couple of places, but really, a small price to pay, to avoid the vacuity.

Steerpike · 46-50, M

In the world outside academe you just assume others to be a bit dim. Smile and treat them as though they were slightly retarded children. After all, their lack of intelligence is no more their fault than your intelligence is to your credit.

Biffed · 26-30, M

It's called fitting in, old sport. (: Maybe you come off as being pretentious unknowingly?

Fallenfromgrace · F

Sorry,kind of got off track. Nothing is wrong with being book smart.I would always have a book with me,once I found that I enjoyed reading,I would carry it everywhere.