A Nerd Manifesto
(I briefly considered naming this post "The N Word" but decided I didn't like Internet trolls that much.)
Nerd:
1. A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious: "one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance."
2. An intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession.
Or from the Urban Dictionary:
1. One whose IQ exceeds his weight.
2. A stereotypical label used to describe a person who is socially inadequate. A four-letter word, but a six-figure income.
There was a point in time where I found the term "nerd" insulting.
Of course, at that time I was shy, awkward, scared of boys, acne-prone, brace-faced, and four-eyed. Nerd was meant as an insult. Nerd was an indicator that I was a lesser form of human and therefore mockable.
And, truth be told, I didn't help that any. While I wasn't necessarily comfortable with that view, I didn't exactly try to escape it. For that matter, I doubt very much that I could have made a dent.
Luckily, college happened. By this point I was no longer brace-faced or four-eyed and a week into school I had shaken that fear of boys. (I had to or I'd have no friends.) More importantly, I was surrounded by my own kind and allowed to embrace my nerddom.
It was good.
In the time since high school, however, there's been a nerd revolution of sorts and our identity has been confused. The term "nerd" has taken on a whole new meaning and become weirdly popular. Not real nerds, mind you -- Hollywood nerds. (And I don't mean Anthony Edwards.) These strange images of a quirkily-dressed-Trekkie-with-a-great-body and the ever popular all-she-has-to-do-is-take-her-glasses-off-and-she's-hot don't really ring true. Then, just to make things more baffling, actors and models have taken to calling themselves nerds here and there as a stand-in for, "I really enjoy ___."
Really?
Perhaps none of this should bother me. After all, there's at least an implication of acceptance with this strange little shift. But as I have come to grips with my own nerdiness, I have found that I don't like to see the label watered down.
Nerds are a lot of things, but they're rarely this stereotype that people seem to enjoy. "Big Bang Theory"? Not really. [Ugh. The bane of my existence, that show.] More importantly, they're so much more than just "someone who enjoys ... something."
Nerds are different. Nerds prioritize their knowledge over ... most anything. Nerds may tend to forget about social niceties but they have some of the best bar conversations you'll ever hear. Nerds pursue new interests with true fervor. Nerds keep Discovery and the History Channel in business. Most of all, nerds are intensely passionate people, whether that passion is applied to computers, chemistry, mechanics, robotics, physics, or yes, "Star Trek."
And as much as some ideas are pushed, we're not always easily picked out in a crowd. There are a few things that may fit the stereotype -- we're not usually fashionable and our phones may cost more than our cars -- but for the most part, we blend in. Adult nerds have found ways to adapt to their situations while still pursuing those very things where their passions lie.
I am proud to declare myself a nerd. Sure, my clothes are kind of boring and people wonder why I read books in bars. I may watch too much "Doctor Who" and occasionally refer to the things I do in my spare time as studying. Maybe I am into beer because the fermentation process fascinates me. Sure, I make graphs for fun. And perhaps I should get better about saying awkward things to strangers. But you know what? I'm never bored and I'm very popular during trivia games.
And hey, that's a pretty good place to start.
To all my nerd friends ... Welcome to the light. And to my slightly less nerdy friends, go hug a nerd. He or she could probably use it.
As for me ... I have some studying to do.
Nerd:
1. A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious: "one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance."
2. An intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession.
Or from the Urban Dictionary:
1. One whose IQ exceeds his weight.
2. A stereotypical label used to describe a person who is socially inadequate. A four-letter word, but a six-figure income.
There was a point in time where I found the term "nerd" insulting.
Of course, at that time I was shy, awkward, scared of boys, acne-prone, brace-faced, and four-eyed. Nerd was meant as an insult. Nerd was an indicator that I was a lesser form of human and therefore mockable.
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Luckily, college happened. By this point I was no longer brace-faced or four-eyed and a week into school I had shaken that fear of boys. (I had to or I'd have no friends.) More importantly, I was surrounded by my own kind and allowed to embrace my nerddom.
It was good.
In the time since high school, however, there's been a nerd revolution of sorts and our identity has been confused. The term "nerd" has taken on a whole new meaning and become weirdly popular. Not real nerds, mind you -- Hollywood nerds. (And I don't mean Anthony Edwards.) These strange images of a quirkily-dressed-Trekkie-with-a-great-body and the ever popular all-she-has-to-do-is-take-her-glasses-off-and-she's-hot don't really ring true. Then, just to make things more baffling, actors and models have taken to calling themselves nerds here and there as a stand-in for, "I really enjoy ___."
Really?
Perhaps none of this should bother me. After all, there's at least an implication of acceptance with this strange little shift. But as I have come to grips with my own nerdiness, I have found that I don't like to see the label watered down.
Nerds are a lot of things, but they're rarely this stereotype that people seem to enjoy. "Big Bang Theory"? Not really. [Ugh. The bane of my existence, that show.] More importantly, they're so much more than just "someone who enjoys ... something."
Nerds are different. Nerds prioritize their knowledge over ... most anything. Nerds may tend to forget about social niceties but they have some of the best bar conversations you'll ever hear. Nerds pursue new interests with true fervor. Nerds keep Discovery and the History Channel in business. Most of all, nerds are intensely passionate people, whether that passion is applied to computers, chemistry, mechanics, robotics, physics, or yes, "Star Trek."
And as much as some ideas are pushed, we're not always easily picked out in a crowd. There are a few things that may fit the stereotype -- we're not usually fashionable and our phones may cost more than our cars -- but for the most part, we blend in. Adult nerds have found ways to adapt to their situations while still pursuing those very things where their passions lie.
I am proud to declare myself a nerd. Sure, my clothes are kind of boring and people wonder why I read books in bars. I may watch too much "Doctor Who" and occasionally refer to the things I do in my spare time as studying. Maybe I am into beer because the fermentation process fascinates me. Sure, I make graphs for fun. And perhaps I should get better about saying awkward things to strangers. But you know what? I'm never bored and I'm very popular during trivia games.
And hey, that's a pretty good place to start.
To all my nerd friends ... Welcome to the light. And to my slightly less nerdy friends, go hug a nerd. He or she could probably use it.
As for me ... I have some studying to do.
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