11 Things Street-Smart People Avoid Doing At All Costs
Intuition, gut instincts, and social awareness are more powerful than you may believe.
Eugenio Marongiu | shutterstock Social intelligence, otherwise known as “street smarts,” is often a learned skill that’s developed through navigating social interactions, conversations, and relationships, according to social psychologist Ronald E. Riggio. From following social rules to developing communication skills and understanding how to engage with different personality types and roles, having street smarts is the equivalent of social awareness — a blend of personal emotional intelligence and social skills.
Compared to the habits and behaviors of people with cognitive intelligence and knowledge — the kinds of skills that things like IQ tests measure — people with street smarts tend to develop their expertise from lived experience. The things street-smart people avoid doing at all costs help create a better sense of community, belonging, and social awareness, while those of a person with a high IQ may sabotage their sense of social security and stability.
There are 11 things street-smart people avoid doing at all costs:
1. They never walk around glued to their phone
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Whether it’s looking out for their safety around busy roadways or in unfavorable parts of town by staying off their phone, like a study from the Accident Analysis & Prevention journal suggests can alter safety and awareness, or trying to be more present in conversations with other people, getting constantly distracted by their cell phone is one of the things street smart people avoid doing at all costs.
While it may seem obvious that going on your phone or getting distracted by notifications in a conversation is dismissive to the person you’re speaking with, a study from the Behavior & Information Technology journal also argues that the mere presence of a phone can be disruptive and distracting.
2. They don't spill their whole life story to strangers
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According to a study from the Current Directions in Psychological Science journal, people tend to overshare in conversations as a survival instinct — they want to feel heard, to connect and make strong connections with others, and to talk about themselves, whether they realize it or not. Even in situations where we feel awkward or anxious, oversharing can be a side effect of coping with that discomfort.
However, people with street smarts are intentional about who they share their intimate thoughts, emotions, and general information with, not just to protect others from feeling awkward in casual conversations, but also to safeguard their overall safety.
Especially in our hyper-digital landscape — where “street” smart rules and principles still apply — it’s crucial to avoid oversharing for personal safety. It’s not just your friends and family that are watching when you’re oversharing or venting about your life online — there’s also a possibility that unfavorable people and unsafe individuals will have access to that information.
3. They won't ignore their gut instinct
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People with street smarts have enough information and experience to understand that when your body, more specifically, your “gut,” gives you a warning about something, you follow it without reservation.
Of course, there are certain situations where nervousness or anxiety could urge you toward a decision that’s not necessarily healthy — like avoiding a person or fleeing an uncomfortable conversation — but for the most part, the link between your gut and your brain is important and intuitive.
It’s one of the things street-smart people avoid doing at all costs — they never ignore a gut feeling, whether they’re in an unsafe environment, on a first date with a potential partner, or even navigating a conflict at work. It’s how they build situational and social awareness, but it’s also how they build a strong foundation of trust with themselves.
4. They avoid causing a scene
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Whether it’s saving a heated argument for home or avoiding being on speaker phone in public spaces, causing a scene in public is one of the things street-smart people avoid doing at all costs.
It might seem simple, but if they’re attracting attention from others, they’d prefer it to be positive and productive, rather than resentful and angry.
It all ties into a street-smart person’s intuitive nature. They can sense the social energy of the people and environments around them, so they’re cautious about the kind they’re spreading and sharing with others.
5. They don’t trust people too quickly
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People with strong street smarts aren’t just wary of people with poor reputations and transactional kindness; they also tend to avoid trusting people too quickly in the face of oversharing tendencies, gaslighting, or favorable appearances.
Like psychology expert Marty Nemko explains, many people who lack social awareness or self-awareness in social situations tend to be overly trusting, wearing “rose-colored glasses” that urge them to overlook red flags. While these kinds of people tend to assume attractiveness is associated with trustworthiness or “see the best” in people who don’t deserve it, street-smart people are intentional with their energy.
6. They never — ever — flaunt their money or status
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Flaunting wealth online and in social interactions isn’t just detrimental to personal reputations, like public relations experts suggest, it can also put people in unfavorable and dangerous situations. For example, wearing an expensive watch or bragging about how much money you make can quickly be overheard by people with dangerous intentions, putting people at risk when they’re out in public.
People with street smarts don’t always hide their socioeconomic status or their wealth, but they’re intentional with how they weave it into their self-expression, conversations, and everyday lives.
7. They won't leave their drink unattended
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Leaving their drink by itself in public and social situations is one of the things street-smart people avoid doing at all costs. In many cases, it’s purely a matter of safety — they don’t want anyone else having access to the drink that they’re going to consume but themselves and occasionally a person that they trust.
They know that it’s not just a safety protocol for college students and young people, but for anyone who’s going out in public, regardless of their age, gender, or environment.
8. They avoid posting personal info or location online
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Whether it’s their address or a picture from the bar they’re still at, people with street smarts avoid sharing too much personal information on social media. Of course, that’s a principle that many of us have been taught from a young age — not to share things with strangers online about our lives and to adopt a kind of digital literacy that safeguards us from scary people. However, as adults, it can be more subtle and unsuspecting than that.
For example, if you’re hosting a garage sale at your house and you share it on your Instagram story, you’re giving your address to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. The same goes for sharing your daily routine — the shops, parks, and places you’re going to every single day can give a person watching you plenty of information.
That’s why people with street smarts, both in person and online, avoid oversharing on social media — whether that means protecting their obvious personal information or the more subtle aspects of their lives.
9. They don't make snap judgments about 'bad neighborhoods'
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The neighborhoods we live in and the demographics of people surrounding us in our everyday lives make a huge difference in every aspect of our lives, whether we recognize it or not. From mental health to social support, professional opportunities, and socioeconomic status, as a study from the Social Science & Medicine Journal unpacks, the environments we live in have a significant impact.
However, many people — especially those who lack street smarts, social skills, and environmental awareness and intuition — tend to misunderstand and misinterpret what a “bad neighborhood” means. They judge socioeconomic status, race, neighborhood demographics, or infrastructure misguidedly, sabotaging their chances to enjoy new cultures, meet people, and appreciate environments they’re not involved in.
People with street smarts lead with their intuition and gut instincts, rather than the social stigmas, prejudices, and stereotypes they’ve been fed.
10. They're careful about who they help — especially when they're alone
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While offering help to strangers, giving advice to friends, and lending a helping hand to people in your everyday life can help to reduce stress and boost positive feelings of confidence, happiness, and gratitude, according to a study from the Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience journal, always stopping to offer help is one of the things street smart people avoid doing.
For example, if they’re alone in their car and see someone asking for help in a dark area, they may call someone to help, but they likely won’t put themselves at risk by getting into an unfavorable and dangerous situation. The same goes for helping people at the grocery store — if they’re alone and someone asks them to go to their car for help, they’re going to listen to their gut.
That doesn’t mean people with street smarts aren’t empathetic or helpful all of the time; it simply means they listen to their intuition before deciding to help others.
11. They never assume everyone has good intentions
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Whether someone is asking for help, offering them advice, or asking them out on a date, people with street smarts never immediately assume that everyone has good intentions. They not only listen to their gut instincts, but they’re also socially aware of energy and red flags in their social interactions.
They know that regardless of the mask, facade, or appearance other people put on, their inner thoughts and motives will never be 100% clear until a foundation of trust has been established.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
