Why are we "nerds"?

[Drakeburn]

This sort of question has been in my head for quite some time.

Why do we play these kinds of games (Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, computer/video games, Magic the Gathering, etc)

What is it that we enjoy about comic books (or graphic novels)?

Why are we so drawn into imaginary worlds?

Why are we "geeks" and "nerds"?

[Castaras]

Because it's fun, it gives us something we can talk about and enjoy with other people, and because it's something we find interesting.

All these things are a sort of escapism, which people need in their lives of school, work, food shopping, paying bills...

Captures the imagination, and gives us something fun to think about, and lets us push away our worries for at least a few minutes. :smallsmile:

[GolemsVoice]

I don't know. We like it because we like it? Why do people like football, or James Bond movies, or jogging, or anything? When we read books, play roleplaying games or debate whether Batman could beat up Darth Vader (yes, given enough prep time) we do something we enjoy.

I really don't want to sound rude, it's just the first thing that came to mind.

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

I don't think it's about D&D, or the comic books, or the games.

I think it's the stories behind them, and the idea of being a part of them.

After all, we are the "Apes who tell stories", as Stephen Jay Gould and Terry Pratchett says.


Also, where else could I kill a dragon, burn down a tabern, redeem a mortal enemy, or follow the story of a party of unlikely heroes who carry a small cannon named "Rosita" around in a cart pulled by two impossibly unlucky horses named Mortadelo and Bondiolo?

[Morph Bark]

I like to do stuff with friends and I like being creative and I like things that are innovative.

Combine these and it's pretty clear why I'd like tabletop RPGs and video games with a new kind of gameplay element, or things that were creatively made with good stories.

[Drakeburn]

Maybe it is the stories that we're in for.

Or maybe it is to get some sort of experience that is out of the ordinary.
Being a college kid, some cubicle worker, or pizza delivery person, or whatever, we all have some sort of wish or desire to be somebody else for a moment, like a knight in shining armor, a powerful wizard, or a legendary hero.

[GolemsVoice]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pH8fPXhm0U

[Brother Oni]

Or maybe it is to get some sort of experience that is out of the ordinary.
Being a college kid, some cubicle worker, or pizza delivery person, or whatever, we all have some sort of wish or desire to be somebody else for a moment, like a knight in shining armor, a powerful wizard, or a legendary hero.

Given the diverse range of roleplayers I've seen, I would think that is an over-generalisation, but mostly true for the more asocial RPG players out there.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Well, for me at least, I love getting into all of these different stories and worlds that have been created. It's just so...amazing...what the human mind can come up with. I'm fascinated by it. I want to dive into as many as I can.

[Wyntonian]

“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.”
~Neil Gaiman

This is why. Because as children of the Enlightenment, we want to explore everything. I want to explore all of my fellow humans, and gaming is a social, fun, creative way to do so. I can't play a character that doesn't exist in me, somewhere. What I can do is stretch the boundaries of who I am as far as they can go, and see what lays outside them.

[warty goblin]

Because I'm in the habit, and it's easier than figuring out a new way to spend my free time.

[Jallorn]

http://4937.voxcdn.com/dynamic/image/pfi_bdfc76821b67b053924df58e826a10ac.png

This feels relevant.

[Drakeburn]

Given the diverse range of roleplayers I've seen, I would think that is an over-generalisation, but mostly true for the more asocial RPG players out there.

I guess it does, now that I've thought about it.

In a way, creativity is part of what makes someone a nerd or a geek.

[Anarion]

Potential.

The potential to imagine that the world is more than just the mundane and ubiquitous. The potential to imagine other worlds entirely. The potential to see what the future could be and what the past could have been. The potential to consider the heights and the depths of humanity.

I'm sure this is an over-generalization too, but I think a lot of the people that become nerds enjoy what they enjoy because they can imagine these things so vividly.

[Amridell]

For me, it's an escapism for academics. I mean, I cannot relate to the athletic's set of recreation. I'm intelligent, and like abusing it (not saying "jocks" are unintelligent). It's because it's appealing escapism for us otakus/nerds/whatever.

[willpell]

Why are we so drawn into imaginary worlds?

Why are we "geeks" and "nerds"?

Because we are smarter than the people who see only what is in front of their eyes? Because we possess vision, not mere sight, and can look past mere facts to see truth, even when it is fictional? Because we are not satisfied with the meaningless accident of the world that happens to exist, and wish to play a role in a new reality being crafted to perfection, away from this gross matter in a realm of pure Mind?

Or, alternatively, because Life dealt us a bad hand and we're sore losers, so we now disparage the only game in town as not being a very good one.

I believe that "nerd" is nigh-synonymous with "introvert", a distinction that applies to only roughly 10% of the population. Extroverts are gregarious and dependant on others, so they form majorities and seek to exclude anything that threatens the cohesion of the group, which introverts do by their very existence. Yet the introvert is still a social creature, just one who prefers a group of 5 close friends to a group of 50 random dullards. Thusly, while all the extroverts are clustered together talking about shoes or football or whatever, the introverts split off into thousands of tiny niche groups around the edges, to exult in their shared interests and to sate their need for a cameraderie which the 90% will never give them.

[warty goblin]

Because we are smarter than the people who see only what is in front of their eyes? Because we possess vision, not mere sight, and can look past mere facts to see truth, even when it is fictional? Because we are not satisfied with the meaningless accident of the world that happens to exist, and wish to play a role in a new reality being crafted to perfection, away from this gross matter in a realm of pure Mind?

Or, alternatively, because Life dealt us a bad hand and we're sore losers, so we now disparage the only game in town as not being a very good one.


Thank you for rerouting this thread's one-way express trip to Planet Unctuous Codswallop.

I can't even say I feel like I got a bad hand; when it comes right down to it I got one of the best possible ones there is. While there are disadvantages to being an introvert, it's hardly synonymous with being persecuted and downtrodden, and anymore liking dragons and elves isn't generally viewed as terrible either.

Let's face it, being a gaming nerd is easy. It's all made up, and made-up stuff is easy compared to most of the non-made up stuff. Anymore we've got multiple major industries that cater nonstop to making loads of content for us, so we're spared having to make our own stuff up in the first place. Thanks to the internet we don't have to leave our wizard-statuette filled homes to seek each other out or deal with people who don't care about the distinction between black and green dragons in all but the most minor of capacities. We can, in short, spend inordinate amounts of time thinking about elves, all the while congratulating ourselves on being oh so smart. To this the echo-chamber that is nerd culture shouts back raucous agreement.

[Blue Ghost]

I think that the appeal of nerd activities is, deep down, quite similar to the appeal of sports. It comes down to the universal desire to participate in epic stories, to be heroes in pursuit of a goal. The fantasy worlds that we embrace are a place where we can enact such heroic stories, as the sports arena is for others. We're not so different.

[DJ Yung Crunk]

That's not so black and white. I don't do any of those things and I still consider myself a "nerd". I don't think it had a strict definition and if it did it wouldn't be nearly as strict as what you listed. I'll ask myself a similar question but aimed at my nerddom.


Why do we obsess over music and evaluate the hell out of it to the point where we're an unbearable social burden whenever music is brought up?

Because music is awesome! It's the vague fandom that just keeps giving. New music every day, new ways to flex those critical muscles, new terms to debate the validity of, new ways to call each other elitists. It's a treasure!

[Kjata]

I beleive that everyone has something they excel at. Some are naturally fast, some are smart, some are strong, etc. Some people excel at many things.

For example, if your main quality is you have an excellent head for numbers, you will likely become a math major.

What makes us enjoy thing like D&D?

Probably because our main quality is imagination. We have very strong imaginations, more so than the average person. We can really get into what we are doing, where as other people would look in on a DnD game and be very confused as to what is going on.

[Knaight]

Why do we play these kinds of games (Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, computer/video games, Magic the Gathering, etc)

What is it that we enjoy about comic books (or graphic novels)?

Why are we so drawn into imaginary worlds?

Why are we "geeks" and "nerds"?

To a large extent, the "nerd" label is an artifice that encompasses a lot of vaguely related activities, and has more to do with the culture around them that is identified with. Consider your examples - many of those games are extremely prevalent, with video games being a particularly obvious case. When the industry producing a type of media is larger than film's, the argument that those consuming it are meaningfully niche is dubious in the extreme. Take the comic books, which only some particularly like in the first place. Even the imaginary worlds part is suspect, given that a particular interest in certain aspects of our very non-imaginary world is also taken as a sign of nerdiness.

Every aspect connected to being a nerd, in general, is a fairly ubiquitous one. Moreover, one can easily be considered a nerd without having a particularly strong connection to many of these aspects (to use a personal example: I have almost no interest in the vast majority of comic books, play videogames less than average, and am not in any particular danger of having some sort of questioning of nerd-cred). It's almost entirely a matter of self identification with a broader culture, wherein everyone in it is only really in it due to having also self identified with it. To some extent it has a historical basis, in that significant portions of what is seen as nerdy were at one point genuine niche activities, but even then they were disparate enough that it being a cultural kludge is a stronger hypothesis.

I'd also note that there is some matter of self imposed exile to a portion of the nerd community. There are beliefs regarding superiority in the sub group, and beliefs regarding persecution that really do not bear out in reality. That nerds are almost monotonically highly intelligent is practically doctrine, propped up by a willingness to disavow the nerdiness of those not seen as bright and to spin certain signs as being more or less indicative of intelligence or the lack thereof than they actually are - see the assumptions that any form of tabletop gaming drastically increases mathematical skills, despite the math being relatively simple in just about every game, barring some of the more complex probability that most don't even engage in. Consider the willingness to identify the reading of any book as a sign of intellect, despite the prevalence of intellectually vacuous nonsense in the genre fiction that is in some cases read to the exclusion of everything else.

Granted: I say these as someone who is at the periphery of nerd culture in a lot of ways, largely because of the factors outlined above. Even then, I'm only in the periphery due to a handful of hobbies and some degree of curiosity; most of the hobbies hold little appeal and I'd use myself as an example of the presence of people who aren't particularly intelligent who are nonetheless a part of nerd culture to some extent.

[Anarion]

Thank you for rerouting this thread's one-way express trip to Planet Unctuous Codswallop.


You don't want a little puffery in a forum filled with almost nothing but self-avowed nerds? :smallwink:



I'd also note that there is some matter of self imposed exile to a portion of the nerd community. There are beliefs regarding superiority in the sub group, and beliefs regarding persecution that really do not bear out in reality. That nerds are almost monotonically highly intelligent is practically doctrine, propped up by a willingness to disavow the nerdiness of those not seen as bright and to spin certain signs as being more or less indicative of intelligence or the lack thereof than they actually are - see the assumptions that any form of tabletop gaming drastically increases mathematical skills, despite the math being relatively simple in just about every game, barring some of the more complex probability that most don't even engage in. Consider the willingness to identify the reading of any book as a sign of intellect, despite the prevalence of intellectually vacuous nonsense in the genre fiction that is in some cases read to the exclusion of everything else.


This is probably right, at least in broad strokes.

The term itself has more than one meaning. People have used it derisively to mean a person that doesn't want to be part of the broader community. And there's some truth to that, since even amongst fans of the same work it can get boring to only talk about the same thing all the time and many people who claim to be "nerds" are socially awkward in various ways.

On the other hand, the term has become a term of pride, especially in the last decade. And when you use it that way, it usually refers to some combination of passion, dedication, and intelligence, which may be more or less true depending on who's claiming it.

I will say that I stand by my first post in this thread, unctuous codswallop though it might be. People that are on this forum, specifically, tend to be into RPGs and fantasy. A huge part of that is an interest in world-building and creativity.

[Lentrax]

Because we are smarter than the people who see only what is in front of their eyes? Because we possess vision, not mere sight, and can look past mere facts to see truth, even when it is fictional? Because we are not satisfied with the meaningless accident of the world that happens to exist, and wish to play a role in a new reality being crafted to perfection, away from this gross matter in a realm of pure Mind?

And now I know the base philosophy for my next Mage: the Awakening character.

[Brother Oni]

I guess it does, now that I've thought about it.

In a way, creativity is part of what makes someone a nerd or a geek.

Unfortunately even that requirement gets a bit blurry around the edges. Take fantasy football (American and proper), where people who haven't seen dice outside of a Monopoly set or a craps table, are engaged in an activity more in common with a RPG than anything else.
Premier Manager, a compuer game version of the above, consistently sells well year in and out.

As others have said, being a nerd or a geek is more a self label and identifying with the culture than anything else - about the only commonality you can say all nerds or geeks have, is an interest in technically or intellectually demanding subjects or hobbies and even that isn't true in some cases.

[Krazzman]

Because the Term "nerd" is specificated to a certain subculture.
With this I mean that due to a certain cluster of things and activities that amuse us compared to our habits is sorted into this category.

An example of Taste defines in which subgenre we move. Example:
A friend of mine listens to electronic music and Metal. Last one more but a few electronic songs to "chill" or have a nice musical trip. This is a feature I share with him. Although he is a music geek, plays guitar and such stuff he doesn't really play video games and is more a (if he is one at least) casual gamer. He goes out partyiing drinking and such stuff. While my interest is in his eyes "more nerdy". I stay at home and play video games or tabletop rpgs or read a book/watch a movie since partying just is against my habit and most of the times... sucks for me. So we both are part of the subculture of "Metalheads" visiting concerts or festivals (although I most of the times don't like festivals... too unsanitary for me...) and listening to a certain type of metal. The thing is he likes cartoons and is a vivid fan of the TMNT (the old cartoon) and although he doesn't read any comics afaik he read fantasy romans and was a gamer in his school years. So he is still a bit nerdy compared to MrNormal.

So when people call us/you/anyone a nerd then they refer to a certain part of our habit/hobby because they can't really relate. A Footballplayer seeing you playing dnd can call you a nerd... but he is being a nerd also without realising. As someone else "quoted" it's about the enthusiasm but also going away from "the norm". Reading a book here and there is "acceptable" while reading excessively makes you a "book-nerd".

[Karoht]

Them: Go to school, work at your career for the rest of your life, fill your life with 'real' things, die.
Us: "Live in your world, play in ours" --Sony


Most people don't want to focus on the real world very much. Politics, war, famine, deforestation, global warming, etc etc. And that's just a handful of the big problems. Big and seemingly unfightable problems. Living in this world is really just living, which ironically doesn't seem very lively to some.
A dragon can be slain. Robots can be smashed, aliens can be nuked from orbit. A Wizard can be defeated. Magneto loses to the Xmen from time to time. They are solveable problems. We like to live in world/s where the problems are solveable or at the very least fightable. Living in this sort of world is exciting, empowering, fun, far more living to do in such a world.

Then there's the minmaxers. Gives their minds something to do. And naturally leads into that balance of power in arguements such as Darth Vader VS Gandalf or other such crossovers.

[Weezer]

http://4937.voxcdn.com/dynamic/image/pfi_bdfc76821b67b053924df58e826a10ac.png

This feels relevant.

Great quote but oh god that typography hurts so badly...

[Doc_Pippin]

I've always just assumed that good roleplayers, nerds, and geeks are simply the smarter members of our species and must rely on more potent forms of entertainment lest we get bored and build doomsday machines to wipe out the ignoramuses that have somehow managed to infect the entire planet... The kind of idiocy that idolizes the Jersey Shore or Paris Hilton...

No, Nerds and geeks are simply people who must use more mentally stimulating drama, action, satire, and romance to get any novel happiness from a world with a tragic lack of intellect.

[dehro]

mmmh I'm a bit unconfortable with the "expectations" that come with the nerd/geek badge.. more and more people I talk to, who themselves are not identifiable as geeks or nerds, seem to think it is a complete package of things and that if you haven't got the entire package, you're faking it. :smalleek:
so if you're a geek you don't "just" like computers, you also play videogames, RPGs, you go to conventions, you like science fiction and fantasy, you like heavy metal (:smallconfused:), you have 0 social skills, you are supersmart and a bookwurm, you have at least one unusual/artsy/weird hobby, you like Anime.
or at least, this seems to be the perception of what being a geek is all about I encounter more and more..sometimes within the geek comunity itself too...
as for myself, I like and appreciate a fraction of the above, dislike some of it and have no opinion on other similar subjects..also, I'm definitely not supersmart.. I still identify as a geek/nerd (whichever of the two is the more acceptable term of today).
by doing so, more than once I've been asked super-brainy stuff or to help out with computers, or random geekish trivia on the principle that being a geek I must know all there is that keeps geeks across the globe occupied. :smallconfused::smallconfused:

[Wyntonian]

Also, as a side note, I have more non-nerd friends than nerdy friends, I go to all my college's American Football games, I run cross country and I don't really like Salvatore or his genre very much, I feel like most Anime that I've seen is overdone, and I'd rather hang out with my "normal" friends and get dinner than debate Darth Vader v. Gandalf. I still play D&D and DFRPG, though, and I enjoy it. I don't, however, own any dice or little wizard figures.

I suppose I don't have enough nerd cred to talk, do I?

EDIT: Oh. And most of my "normal" friends are smarter than my nerdy friends. On average.

[Morbis Meh]

I believe that "nerd" is nigh-synonymous with "introvert", a distinction that applies to only roughly 10% of the population. Extroverts are gregarious and dependant on others, so they form majorities and seek to exclude anything that threatens the cohesion of the group, which introverts do by their very existence. Yet the introvert is still a social creature, just one who prefers a group of 5 close friends to a group of 50 random dullards. Thusly, while all the extroverts are clustered together talking about shoes or football or whatever, the introverts split off into thousands of tiny niche groups around the edges, to exult in their shared interests and to sate their need for a cameraderie which the 90% will never give them.

Thank you for the complete and utter generalization of 50% of the popultation based on your jaded opinion of extroverts. The split between extroverts vs introverts varies from region, for example Canada is roughly 45% intro to 55% extro and in the US it's skewed slightly more towards extros. So you 90/10 split is complete and utter bullocks and your comment in itself contradicts itself. If extroverts are gregarious and depend on people why would they exclude people in the first place if they always want more friends. Also introverts can be very gregarious in fact I know several introverts that are the life of the party; the only difference is that they run out of energy because they are recharged by internal time whereas an extrovert is the opposite. I myself am an extrovert and several of my nerd friends are extroverts, we include and love our introvert friends just as much and our conversations rarely turn to football or anything of that ilk. Being an extrovert I personally would prefer having a solid core of 5 amazing friends than 50, which is exactly what I have though I do have other people I regard as friends. I also know of tons and tons of introverts that talk football and go to parties to drink their faces off because saddly our society favors extroverts and drinking usually helps them overcome some of their reclusive tendancies.

In summary blanket statements of people based on whether they draw their energy from inside or outside sources is not only wrong but extremely ignorant. Everyone will be different with how they interact with friends and society and it is not fair to paint a large group of people with a negative brushed because of your bias :smallannoyed:

On topic, why am I nerd? I love creativity, I love a change of setting something that breaks me out of the mundane world for any given amount of time. DnD is amazing for its story telling potential and it allows me to create something wonderful with my friends. People can call me a nerd and intend as an insult, I will simply smile and reply "Boy, you have no idea". As a side note, telling people you have a tattoo of Vivi from FFIX is an interesting conversation peace and people usually try to get my shirt off...:smalleek:

[Scarlet Knight]

This may help:

http://gosmellthecoffee.com/files/2010/05/20090921-nerd-venn-diagram.jpg

[Sgt. Cookie]

Because society has an OCD need to label everything and anyone. It likes to group things together so that it can place blame of praise without too much effort. It allows society to point fingers and say "It was them".

[Karoht]

I think it is safe to say that generalizations are typically bad.
Sadly, they get made.

@Intro/Extrovert
I like big crowds and I cannot lie.
My events and parties would make you die.
But when we go to Jimmy's place
It's just 5 of us in that space
We have FUN.

Musical references aside, I can enjoy a large crowd, I make friends easy, I break the ice just fine, I start conversations with perfect strangers. I would still rather hang out with a small group of friends at a time.
Still, once in a while, the draw of a big event like a convention or an off the hook party, and the idea of meeting new people, is just too much to resist.

I'm not an Extrovert, at least not by the terms laid out by such generalizations.
But by that same set of generalizations, I'm not an Introvert either.


Also, look up "I'm the one that's cool" by Felicia Day. Great little video.

[CMOTDibbler]

Personally? I was born into it. My parents met at a Sci-fi and Fantasy Convention, I was taught to read using Harry Potter, and started playing Dungeons and Dragons when I was nine.

As a group? I think it's just the label we put on people who like a certain type of escapism. It may have something to do with how we're raised, but I don't know what that would be. I personally know "nerds" from all walks of life/income level/etc. So I honestly couldn't tell you specifically why.

[Karoht]

Fantasy Football = DnD for Jocks.
Yes, it's a generalization.
Thoughts?

[Sipex]

Can we just get this over with?

1) Everything here is a generalization on the term because we, as people are far too complex to fully define under one term, each person stands out in their own ways. It's easy to apply a label to ourselves, like geek, because it's very generic but when you try to define the label everything begins to fall apart.

Really though, every post here is a reason behind why someone is a geek, and probably fits very well (but not perfectly!) with the personal idea thousands of others have about themselves.

If we wanted to define what a geek was without generalizing at all this topic would be one post long. Two if you keep the question separate. Instead of relying on one post for the definition, rely, instead, on the entire thread as a culmination of reasons.

2) Can we please just avoid trying to label ourselves what type of geek, or nerd, or whatever we consider ourselves? Each word means something different (although similiar) to different people. I've had people tell me 'geek' is bad but 'nerd' is good only to hear the exact opposite from others.

Point is, we're a bunch of like-minded people who enjoy pretending we're dwarves (or elves...I guess) once a week.

[Karoht]

2) Can we please just avoid trying to label ourselves what type of geek, or nerd, or whatever we consider ourselves? Each word means something different (although similiar) to different people.
My exact argument on the "Hardcore" VS "Casual" topic.

Generalizations are occasionally useful terms for quick and fluid conversation, but rarely are they useful for placing some kind of boundary to discussions. The minute there are generalizations at play, you almost immediately start seeing a 'moving the goalposts' kind of discussion happen as well.

[Squark]

Why am I a nerd? Well, I guess I was interested in some of these things, and I found other people with similar interests, and it became sort of a social thing for me. Magic: The Gathering, RPGs, and 40k are all ways for me to meet people in a setting I'm comfortable in. Also, the games all have certain appeals to me that I'm struggling to put in exact terms. It's not exactly my mild OCD, but... Maybe I'll be able to phrase it properly later.

[nedz]

Why are we trying to compare ourselves against media driven stereotypes ?
That way lies madness.


The kind of idiocy that idolizes the Jersey Shore or Paris Hilton.

But that's quite a nice beach, and a very good hotel.:smallconfused:

[Drakeburn]

I guess you have a point there nedz. But I'm not trying to compare ourselves to stererotypes (these days, it seems as though media has any clue about what its talking about).

I'm just wondering what is it that draws us to these sort of things.

Roleplaying games, comic books, video games, fantasy, science fiction.

I play Magic the Gathering, creating a D&D 4E campaign, and I've read a couple of Marvel graphic novels.

Why do I do all this? It makes me who I am. By that, I'm being myself.

There are a lot of parties I don't enjoy (except for a Blue Man Group show. That was awesome).

I'm being myself, and I'm enjoying it.

[dehro]

and a very good hotel.

the one in Prague is better

[Das Platyvark]

Because I find nerdy people more interesting. It's nothing about intelligence—We just seem have that particular sense of humor.
Also, I find one thing in common between nerds and farmers, both of whom I've spent a bit of time with: A willingness to talk about things that would disturb or disgust most people. A farmer will talk about animal births, infections, and injuries because s/he is used to them—I can't clarify a nerd's interest in the specifics of a lobotomy, aside from wanting to know how things work.

[Lentrax]

Did someone say lobotomy?

I love figuring out how the brain works...

Too bad I can't put the people back together when I'm done.

But yeah. To me being a nerd is living out a shared sense of escapism with friends. Like taking a vacation with family, or a road trip with friends. It's our social medium. It's how some of us cope with an otherwise intolerable reality.

It's how we exist.

[Scarlet Knight]

If your question is "Why do we nerds like imaginary worlds?" I would venture it is because when there, we are no longer nerds.

We have the imagination to believe that the smallest hobbit can save the world, that an awkward boy can pull the sword from the stone & become king, or for that matter the world's most famous wizard .

Nerds usually also have sharp minds, which leads to a quote from JRR Tolkien : "The keener and clearer is the reason, the better fantasy will make it."

[Don Julio Anejo]

Interestingly, I fit into the media stereotype of a nerd almost to a tee (except I have social skills... or at least I think I do and everyone is too nice to tell me otherwise). But my reasons are completely different.

If you want to hear my general opinions and where I stand as a nerd, read the spoiler below (spoilered since frankly unimportant to the point I'm trying to make).

I honestly have absolutely no interest in escapism. I actually really, really like our world. I walk down the street and instead of seeing stereotypes or mindless sheep or whatever it is other people see, I people each of whom has a story to tell. Even if that story about how there was this yellow sheet of paper, but you have to put up notices on pink sheets, and how the narrator got totally confused and then the manager like gave her a dirty look or something. Heck, if someone told me such a story, I'd give them tips on how to make it more interesting... not my fault by the end of it there are modern-age pirates and a century-old Templar conspiracy.

I love fantasy and science fiction. But not because I like the epicness, the adventure or the escapism. I genuinely like Harry Potter, and don't laugh, Eragon (first time I've ever admitted it) and don't understand Lord of the Rings very much, and Tolkien's language annoys me way more than helps with immersion. I will also choose dry, overly technical works of Tom Clancy or Harry Turtledove to supposed masters of fantasy. Why? I like compelling narratives. And I like "what-if" scenarios. Logical, thought-out "what-if" scenarios. I like David Weber because his worldbuilding, naval tactics and political structure actually makes sense (compared to anything Star Wars, Star Trek, Warhammer, or any other cult series, really), and I couldn't care less that Honor Harrington or Nimue Alban are total Mary Sues.

About the only conventionally nerdy thing for conventionally nerdy reasons for me are academics. I genuinely like reading, school and knowledge. I'm studying biochemistry and neuroscience at university. But.. I hated school. I loved the social aspect, I loved being able to hang out with and say hi to lots of people, and I loved horsing around (grade 3) or flirting around (grade 9 onwards). But I hated about 70% of my classes...

Most were inane all the while overloaded with overly repetitive homework (because apparently solving 3+2 is somehow useful after you've just solved 2+3 four times in a row), others... were stupid for PC reasons like "let's write a poem about our favourite element and then decorate it nicely so artsy kids feel like doing something productive." This was in AP science 10 (we also got credit for biology 11) in a class where you had to take a test and get a bunch of teacher recommendations to join. When I temporarily dropped it to take regular science, the teacher spent 2 weeks explaining what a hypothesis is. Sorry, but I was there to learn science, not frolick in the hills with bunnies and unicorns - I had AP English for that, which I enjoyed immensely more because I was doing things that were actually useful. Like how to write and structure an essay. Sorry, going to stop ranting now.



Nerd culture? Honestly, except for playing videogames and watching/reading aforementioned fantasy/sci-fi, I don't take part in it. I'm still barely coming out with real-life people that I'm a nerd (to mixed and often surprised reactions). See, high school was a bit weird. I started it by being a complete math nerd (to the point where I competed and placed pretty highly in provincial math competitions and got decent 10th-ish percentile in written national ones). I hung out with other nerds like me. Then, I started to notice girls... Fortunately they noticed me back, at least as friends, and not the kind of friends who do your homework and then become invisible to you. It helped that I got really fit in grade 8.

But... my friends were weird. Like, I'd be talking to a girl and one of my friends would come up and do something really creepy. And when the girl promptly excused herself to perm her cat or something, they'd be like "Oh, man I totally scared her, didn't I? That's awesome." And they'd be gloating about it afterward. In hindsight, a few of them were total asshats too, like this one tiny kid who'd always try to stab you with something borderline dangerous (like closed scissors or a screwdriver) and then pass it off as a joke. He also hated to lose and would get violent or end the game when it was obvious he was in his own words, "roflpwned." But at any point me (or anyone else) got enough of his... stuff monkeys like to throw.. and actually decided to punch his lights out, he'd come yelling and running to the nearest teacher and always coming out the victim.

On the other hand, I found most popular people (operating definition - well-known and well-liked) usually either very nice, very funny, or both. Hence, the popularity. A lot of cool people (operating definition - well-known and looked up to/considered dominant) were jerkasses, but that came from a constant need to be the top dog and inability to submit. If you were even slightly a threat to their social position, they'd do anything to undermine your authority/coolness in the eyes of others (usually by making you back down when there were spectators). But as long as you stood up for yourself enough to not be anything remotely a target, made it clear you didn't give a rat's lateral posterior about social politics and told a few dirty jokes, they were pretty amicable. Certainly more so than supposedly oppressed nerds who'd stab your hand with scissors for no reason at all (okay, just that guy, but still).

It might seem like a betrayal, but I went with people I actually liked, even if I didn't share their interests at the time. Now - I do. How I Met Your Mother is an amazing show. Hockey is both fun to play and to watch. Going to the gym to work out is my personal alone time. Still can't stand Jersey Shore though. There's a lot of vanity and self-esteem to be had in dressing nicely, and is no more expensive than buying cheap crap at Walmart/Old Navy as long as you actually follow the sales (i.e. sign up for a few email newsletters to your favourite boutiques). And photography can be just as nerdy if you're into gear, but provides a good topic to talk to girls about on a first date and makes you damn well proud when your Facebook cover photo of your university looks better than most official photos out there.

[Brother Oni]

Point is, we're a bunch of like-minded people who enjoy pretending we're dwarves (or elves...I guess) once a week.

I'm not a big fan of stunties or flower sniffing tree huggers, so I like pretending I'm human instead.

Edit: Wait... That came out wrong.

[Jay R]

There's no point looking for a motivation for something I didn't choose.

I like what I like. I do what I do.

Why does that include playing D&D, hitting people with swords, reading F&SF literature, and solving mathematical problems?

I don't know. I like what I like. I do what I do.

[nedz]

There is probably some pseudo science psycho-babble you can dig up somewhere: but the real answer probably comes down to genetics, or environment, or genetics plus environment, ..., OK — some function of genetics and/or environment.

Freud would have it differently I suppose — I wouldn't know.

[Socratov]

I think it is safe to say that generalizations are typically bad.
Sadly, they get made.

@Intro/Extrovert
I like big crowds and I cannot lie.
My events and parties would make you die.
But when we go to Jimmy's place
It's just 5 of us in that space
We have FUN.

Musical references aside, I can enjoy a large crowd, I make friends easy, I break the ice just fine, I start conversations with perfect strangers. I would still rather hang out with a small group of friends at a time.
Still, once in a while, the draw of a big event like a convention or an off the hook party, and the idea of meeting new people, is just too much to resist.

I'm not an Extrovert, at least not by the terms laid out by such generalizations.
But by that same set of generalizations, I'm not an Introvert either.


Also, look up "I'm the one that's cool" by Felicia Day. Great little video.
I saw what you did there :smallamused:

Anyway, I am extrovert and all that, but even us extroverts aren't always outgoing. We like our quiet hours of reading once in a while. even Lady Gaga dresses in a nromal way from time to time...

This may help:

http://gosmellthecoffee.com/files/2010/05/20090921-nerd-venn-diagram.jpg

so... that would make me a geek? Ok.

anyway. On being a nerd/geek/dork/whatever (abbreviated as nerds). yes, it's the labeling OCD of Society, yes it's the whole " being different and individual" thing, and again, yes it's escapism (I liked the quote btw, but indeed the typography *eyes bleeding*). but what makes us nerds? 1) we are different from the (stupid) masses. either we are smarter, more imaginative, less athletic, less socially adept, better at certain skills like mth and statistics and many more things. We might even be all of the above (and anything inbetween). And instead of 'adapting' to the heteronormatvie jock way we choose to be different. We choose to pursue other interests then the rest of the population. we choose to dress in a certain way (ok, sometimes we can point our finger to family, but then again once that's over you can have it your way). Just like we choose to speak in a certain way and react ina certain way. some of those choices will be made subconsciously before birth (genes), some will be made subconsciously during upbringing, and some will be taken consciously. Point fo the matter is you choose to be nerd, whether you are put into that choice by nature/nurture or make a conscious effort, it is ultimately a choice.

[Drakeburn]

With the stress of politics, work, education, chores, and sometimes family, it is no wonder people seek escapism. Either it be sports, literature, or games.

To anyone who doesn't understand, it is a weird picture to see a grown man reading a comic book, playing a video game, or playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

[Morbis Meh]

I like to think of it in the simple terms 'I roll therefore I am' if society feels the need to label me good for it, doesn't mean it will change me in anyway. If they look at it in a negative light, like my dear little sister, then that is there problem I shall go out and enjoy myself thoroughly.

[Afool]

For me I guess it boils down to two things.

1. I LOVE good stories. Always have and always will. They give me a connection that I can't really describe. Reading and gaming are ways to learn from them and become a part of them.

2. When I make a character, I have to invest a part of myself into them. I need to take some part of me and explore that aspect of myself and see who I am as this character, this person. I need to find out who I really am, and I can find some small parts of who I am by taking myself, one small part at a time, and seeing what I'd do and why would I do it, and with every discovery I find out more of how I interact with the world and what I think about those things in the world.

I've found out that I like playing sports with a bunch of strangers I've barely met and that I could spend hours reading away with nary a soul in the house. I've found out that I enjoy finding out definitions and labels for all sorts of things and how they make some things simpler to explain or think about or how they can lead to whole new avenues of thought and new worlds to explore. I've found out that I don't care a wit about how other people see me as long as I'm doing what I feel is the right thing to do or what I want to do if there is no right thing to do. I've found out that I enjoy competition yet detest it when it separates people. I can go on tangents about the difference between what is "good" vs. what is "nice" and I've been known to inquire with almost perfect strangers about the quality of hats in a retail clothing store.

I enjoy being who I am and frankly I don't think I care what makes me a "nerd" as long as I still enjoy being my nerdish self.


Hmmm.... I don't think I meant for this to get so ranty (or whatever the right word for it is (personal? *shrugs*)), but I think I'll leave it up anyway unless anyone complains.

P.S.


Point is, we're a bunch of like-minded people who enjoy pretending we're dwarves (or elves...I guess) once a week.

Personally I prefer the Goliath.

[ThiagoMartell]

Who said I'm a nerd? :smallamused:
I enjoy RPG, boardgames, anime and old-school videogames but I'm also very much into classical literature, theater and sports. More often than not, I'd rather spend a night drinking and watching a soccer game than playing D&D.

[JoshL]

I heard it once said that a nerd is someone who uses a telephone to have a conversation about telephones.

But, yeah, I don't remember a time without Star Wars. The D&D cartoon was on the air as a kid, and the video game on the Intellivision was one of my favorites. I can't even remember when I first saw the Hobbit cartoon. Geeky stuff has been a part of my life as far as I can remember...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Don Julio Anejo]

I don't enjoy anything nerdy except video games, Vs. debates and "what-if" scenarios (i.e. alt. history). Is there something wrong with me?

[Scarlet Knight]

Who said I'm a nerd? :smallamused:
I enjoy RPG, boardgames, anime and old-school videogames but I'm also very much into classical literature, theater and sports. More often than not, I'd rather spend a night drinking and watching a soccer game than playing D&D.

You defined the problem; outside forces determine "nerdom".

Sports & drinking are popular & therefore acceptable.

Example: I own a pirate costume.
If I am seen wearing it to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, I'm a true fan viewed with admiration.:smallwink:
If I am seen wearing it to a Ren Faire or Comic Con, I am a dweeb & greeted with arched brows. :smallconfused:
If I am seen wearing it to a Jimmy Buffett concert, the look changes depending whether the viewer knows what a Parrothead is. Then I might get either a head shake or a cold Landshark...:smallcool:

[Telonius]

To the thread title:

Because Dr. Seuss is awesome.
http://www.eldacur.com/~brons/NerdCorner/NerdSmall16.gif

[warty goblin]

To the thread title:

Because Dr. Seuss is awesome.
http://www.eldacur.com/~brons/NerdCorner/NerdSmall16.gif

I aspire to ear hair that marvelous.

[Bulldog Psion]

Why am I, specifically, a nerd?

1. The opportunity to tell tales and let my imagination run rampant. Storytelling seems to be an eternal human trait. Cooperative storytelling in a world of magic, wonder, peril, and ancient secrets is naturally even more delicious.

2. The ability to make up your own stories, histories, creatures, landscapes, heroes, and villains. All the good stuff, you might say. :smallbiggrin:

3. Gives you something to talk about that doesn't inevitably stray into politics within 5 minutes. :smallsigh:

4. Has some of the most intriguing films around. And we definitely get better special effects than the deeply probing psychological drama crowd does. :smallwink: (Tongue in cheek on that last part.)

5. Why not? :smallsmile: Or, to reverse the question, why on Earth wouldn't someone want to be a nerd? :smallbiggrin: It's a lot of fun!

[Drakeburn]

Indeed, storytelling has been part of culture for ages.

[An Enemy Spy]

I could talk at length about science fiction and D&D, but my true passion is watching my Seahawks. Oh noes! He likes football! That means he's a dumb jock! But he also likes Star Trek, so that means he's a socially inept wierdo who lives in his mom's basement!(what is with nerds and basements anyway? Don't your parents have bedrooms in their house?).
People aren't one dimensional. I don't think anyone is exclusively a nerd or any other label we can give them. It's all different facets of our complicated personalities.
When I post on this website, I am being a nerd. Other times, I am not being a nerd.

[Drakeburn]

Kind of funny how I follow that stereotype in a way (I live downstairs in the utility closet. It's a lot roomier than you'd think)

[Mattaeu]

I play for pleasure. It has been a long time since I've sat down for a pen and paper session, but I remember the autonomy that role-playing a fantasy character encouraged in my attitude. It gave me a chance to explore the reactions of the other players to the imaginary motives of my characters. I didn't understand at the outset that they didn't need to mirror my actual life perspectives, but I'm glad that there is and was a great community of what the OP calls "geeks" or "nerds".

I love how much the community feeds on itself and grows independently. I remember oots from years back, but fell into other heady endeavors and come back to see it thriving better than before. I think that's because you can recognize honest work from other "nerds/geeks" and encourage that and dedicate time toward building it up. I would say the same answer could apply toward humans. We are capable of building each other up if we look to encourage honest effort and creation. We can practice human-ity individually and/or with other humans.

We are nerds, if only just alone, or if only among thousands. Just as we are merely, but importantly, humans.

That's all for now from me. Practice nerd-ity!

[Trekkin]

I can't see it being either intelligence or passion for intellectual consideration. See, I live and work in a group almost predominantly composed of genius-level people, and within that small subset, the nerd designation is applied derogatorily in a way that doesn't at all correlate with relative intelligence. Nor does it correlate to how passionate someone is about their work; even correcting for the dampening effect of greed-induced "respect" for their earning power (IE people not wanting to alienate their future boss), the guys euphorically working until midnight don't get called nerds, or self-identify as such, any more often than the ones going home at six.

If there is a correlation between personality traits and "nerdiness" as defined by the outgroup, I think it has to be willingness to speculate as applied to how we solve problems. Put loosely, non-nerds tend to find simulacra less enjoyable than "real" pursuits, where "real" varies in definition to suit the ego of the non-nerd. Where nerds play video games, non-nerds label them as such for their willingness to push buttons to make a screen show different pictures for hours on end. Where nerds paint miniature soldiers and tanks and run mock battles, non-nerds see little lumps of metal being pushed around tables. Where nerds play pnpRPGs, non-nerds laugh at the people rolling funny-looking dice and getting excited over the results. LARPing has its own set of oddities, but I think the common thread between all pursuits commonly labeled as nerdy is a component of their enjoyment heavily dependent on a form of emotional buy-in to simulation, and it may be that nerds simply find that sort of mental process easier to engage in.

Nerds self-identify on different grounds, though, in my experience. It may be compared to the "reclamation" of certain words by later-wave feminist movements in spirit if not in organization, and is more socially founded than the original classification, which may be where we get the idea of the poseur nerd (as distinct from the uninformed,newbie nerd). There are similar patterns of exclusion on social grounds in other social groups that have as part of their shared history abuse of some sort by the rest of the population. A certain degree of the conflation between nerdiness and intellectualism may be explained by the concomitant defensiveness, come to think of it.

[Concrete]

I think that being a nerd is about analyzing.
To see a dragon, and asking how it flies, what it thinks, what it means to live in a world that has dragons.
Places like Tvtropes exist because nerds exist, places like this one as well. When a nerds sees a movie, he needs to discuss it, compare it to other movies, books, worlds, more so than other people.
The nerd doesn't have to be smarter, more creative. It's not the conclusions that makes him a nerd, but the need to process it at greater length.

[Bulldog Psion]

I think that being a nerd is about analyzing.
To see a dragon, and asking how it flies, what it thinks, what it means to live in a world that has dragons.
Places like Tvtropes exist because nerds exist, places like this one as well. When a nerds sees a movie, he needs to discuss it, compare it to other movies, books, worlds, more so than other people.
The nerd doesn't have to be smarter, more creative. It's not the conclusions that makes him a nerd, but the need to process it at greater length.

That's definitely part of it. Nerds seem to do a lot more self-analysis than the non-nerdy, at least as regards their entertainment, which probably falls into that nerdiness analytical mode, too.

[Anarion]

I think that being a nerd is about analyzing.
To see a dragon, and asking how it flies, what it thinks, what it means to live in a world that has dragons.
Places like Tvtropes exist because nerds exist, places like this one as well. When a nerds sees a movie, he needs to discuss it, compare it to other movies, books, worlds, more so than other people.
The nerd doesn't have to be smarter, more creative. It's not the conclusions that makes him a nerd, but the need to process it at greater length.

Where would this throw people like good soccer or baseball announcers, who do detailed analysis and can pick up on and explain strategies very quickly, but are not traditionally considered nerds?

[Aliquid]

Where would this throw people like good soccer or baseball announcers, who do detailed analysis and can pick up on and explain strategies very quickly, but are not traditionally considered nerds?I would say those people are just like nerds/geeks... the public just doesn't label them that way

You take a person who has an obsessive knowledge on Star Trek, and is incapable of having a useful conversation on any other subject… keeps bringing up Star Trek references. This person would certainly be called a geek

Take another person who has the same obsessive level of interest in sports or celebrity gossip… and they are not considered geeks/nerds.

The “average Joe” can have a conversation about sports with the “sports nut” because that’s a subject most people have (at least) a passing interest in. Same thing with celebrity gossip. Not the same with Star Trek, D&D, complex science…. etc

[TrioThePunch]

People say I'm a nerd because I like to do D&D, and I am very interested in science, mathematics and history, as well as most other subjects relataed to them. People also say I'm a nerd because I always concern myself with politics.

[dehro]

People also say I'm a nerd because I always concern myself with politics.

wouldn't that make nerds out of all those people who like to stand around waving signs and slogans at other people?

[TrioThePunch]

wouldn't that make nerds out of all those people who like to stand around waving signs and slogans at other people?

I have a lot of interests, they must think because I do other things, that makes my other interests nerdy. But they might think politicians are nerdy too.

[Karoht]

Anyone seen the trailer for the upcoming film "Noobz" by any chance?

American teen comedy with video games/eSports and related stereotypes as a backdrop.

I refuse to link the trailer because I have a policy about causing people to vomit. Google it at your own risk.

[Drakeburn]

I wonder who started all these stereotypes in the first place? :smallconfused:

One at this "summer camp" I went to, in a couple days it was already established that I am a gamer. But in a conversation with some of my new friends, I've mentioned that I don't drink soda (seriously, I don't drink soda).
Their reaction: "WHAT KIND OF GAMER DOESN'T DRINK SODA?"

Why does the world assume that gamers are fat, lazy, and violent?

1. Not all video games are violent. These days kids play a lot dumb games like "Call of Duty" or "Modern Warfare". But I enjoy video games like Tetris, which isn't violent at all.

As for me, I used to play video games like Halo and Uberstrike (some MMO FPS game on Facebook by the way) and I'm not violent.
I don't really like soda that much, or energy drinks.

I actually walk to the library from time to time (which is five miles from my place to there). And at every buffet place my folks go to, I always have a salad (but always with "plenty" of bacon bits).

[TrioThePunch]

I wonder who started all these stereotypes in the first place? :smallconfused:

One at this "summer camp" I went to, in a couple days it was already established that I am a gamer. But in a conversation with some of my new friends, I've mentioned that I don't drink soda (seriously, I don't drink soda).
Their reaction: "WHAT KIND OF GAMER DOESN'T DRINK SODA?"

Why does the world assume that gamers are fat, lazy, and violent?

1. Not all video games are violent. These days kids play a lot dumb games like "Call of Duty" or "Modern Warfare". But I enjoy video games like Tetris, which isn't violent at all.

As for me, I used to play video games like Halo and Uberstrike (some MMO FPS game on Facebook by the way) and I'm not violent.
I don't really like soda that much, or energy drinks.

I actually walk to the library from time to time (which is five miles from my place to there). And at every buffet place my folks go to, I always have a salad (but always with "plenty" of bacon bits).

COD and MW are very idiotic games, and their campaigns are shallow. The plot is so stupid, and full of plot holes.

[Knaight]

These days kids play a lot dumb games like "Call of Duty" or "Modern Warfare". But I enjoy video games like Tetris, which isn't violent at all.

Plenty of people who aren't kids play these same dumb games, and the implication that they play these games near exclusively is dubious at best. Similarly, the implication that this is somehow part of "these days" and not something that covers basically all of videogame history (including the likes of Gallaga or Space Invaders), with the existence of some sort of better period is also nonsense.

[Dave Halfbreed]

For me, it's because I love to use my imagination, to think creatively, and to escape the normal world. It's both escapism and creative expression. The reason I want to play RPGs is because I always loved to play pretend when I was little, I love to tell stories, I love fantasy worlds and history, I love to explore and learn about new and different worlds, and I want to learn new ways to form friendships and learn teamwork.

[TrioThePunch]

I was watching a documentary, and later looked it up on youtube.
Some of the comments had people joking about making the "nerds" save them before they kill them all. I think that a nerd is synonymous, for a lower class or uneducated person, for someone who is an intellectual or follows intellectual pursuits to some degree.
Speaking of video games.
Some comments on nintendo 3ds videos are going on about how PSvita is a hardcore gaming device, or 3ds is a hardcore gaming device. And an argument for 3ds was some guy said he was 22 and that all his friends have and play on a 3ds.
But I reckon, PC is the real hardcore gaming platform.
I mean, I would choose Baldur's Gate over all the stupid 3ds games.

[Bulldog Psion]

Can't we all just get along? :smallfrown: