The Difference Between Having Sense and being Smart

You’ve probably met that one person who always seems to make the right decisions in life, even though they aren’t exactly a genius. 

And then there’s the one who is super intelligent, big vocabulary, straight-A student, but somehow, they still make the silliest life choices.

This brings us to today’s topic: What’s the difference between having sense and being smart?

When we say someone has sense, we’re talking about good judgment and practical intelligence.

It’s the ability to read situations, avoid unnecessary wahala, and navigate life with wisdom.

A person with sense knows when to talk and when to keep quiet.

They don’t argue about pointless things because they understand that peace is better than being "right."

They have a natural instinct for survival, they know when a deal sounds too good to be true, when someone is trying to scam them, or when to just jejely walk away from trouble.

You don’t need to be book-smart to have sense.

In fact, many “uneducated” people have sense in abundance, while some PhD holders shock us with their lack of basic reasoning.

Example? Your uncle who never went to school but built a successful business because he understands people and money. 

Now compare that to the tech genius who earns big money but spends recklessly and is always broke.

Now, being smart is different. It usually refers to intellectual ability, quick thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge application.

A smart person can analyze situations, solve equations, and memorize facts.

Smart people know things, science, technology, history, whatever.They can outthink most people in debates.

They tend to question everything and see patterns others don’t.

But here’s the problem: Some smart people don’t have sense.

They know how to calculate the speed of light but don’t know how to calculate the cost of living and end up making terrible financial decisions.

They might argue unnecessarily just to prove a point, not realizing that in real life, winning an argument doesn’t always mean winning in life.

So, Which One is Better?

If we’re being honest, having sense is more useful for daily survival. A person with sense might not know complex math, but they’ll figure out how to make money, build good relationships, and live wisely.

But the best combo? Be smart AND have sense.Know your stuff, but also know when to apply wisdom.Read books, but also read the room.Have intelligence, but don’t forget to have sense.

At the end of the day, it’s better to be the person who makes wise choices than the one who just knows a lot but can’t apply it.

So, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to choose between proving you're smart and using your sense… always pick sense!

What do you think? Have you met people who are smart but lack sense, or vice versa? Let’s gist in the comments!