I feel as if people who have only street smarts, and not book smarts just lack motivation. Anyone in the United States can pick up a book and get educated on any subject matter if they have the motivation to do so; even if they do not have the means to purchase a book they can go down to their local library and take advantage of the free knowledge that is at their fingertips. Knowledge is something that can never be taken away from us, so I feel as if people should put more time into obtaining worthwhile knowledge that will be relevant to this world until the day they die. In one sentence Graff claims, "We assume that it's possible to wax intellectual about Plato, Shakespeare, the French Revolution, and nuclear fission, but not about cars, dating, fashion, sports, TV, or video games." (199). Graff's mindset seems to be that having knowledge on cars, fashion, sport, or TV is just as important as having knowledge on Plato, Shakespeare, or different wars throughout our world history. In response, I understand how knowing about sports or TV will help you with small talk and help you communicate with others, but you can in no way compare the relevance of a sports game to the teachings of Plato, or to the lessons we have learned as a society form the different wars we have taken part in. Plato once said, "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." Plato even expresses in this statement that worthwhile conversations should be about aspiring, wise ideas that will strengthen your mind. Years from now it will be more beneficial to each person to know things about the universe, or about how an ecosystem works rather than having the knowledge on old sports statistics, or what fashion was in style in the 2000s.
Having insight on sports or fashion could potentially form, or connect people to an academic identity, but many fail to make that connection.