What makes a "nerd"?

[elfpirate]

I wanted to pose this question because someone recently described himself to me as a nerd, but when I asked him what it was that made him decide that he was a nerd, I got no reply. Hmmm...
Plus- there's the old stereotype that anime and games' fans are nerds, as well...though I don't understand why.

When I was in middle school, it was the fashion-challenged, grades- obsessed kids that everyone picked on...(in other words- I was a nerd...)
I don't remeber the word being used after middle school, though...

SO- what makes someone a nerd? Is it a tangible thing or is it a state of mind or what?

[Panda]

When I was growing up nerd basically had the same definition as what you listed. Usually they were the kids who cared more about their grades than fashion. They generally did not excel in physically challenging activities such as sports and physical education. They also were able to quote from any of the fantasy/sci fi books they read religiously and, of course, could quote Monty Python's Holy Grail (Ni!). Hobbies would include comic books, animation and role playing games like D & D.

I think the title of "nerd" is much like that of any other clique. Your peers, as well as your own opinion, leads you to decide what title is bestowed upon you. When I was in school my friends and I considered ourselves "bandnerds". If we really cared about our look there would be no way we would have been caught dead wearing those polyester band uniforms. The collars on those things went all the way down to our elbows! No joke. They were very 70's which was not very cool in the 90's.

We wore our titles as a badge of honor and not as a scarlet letter.

[elfpirate]

Ha ha...I wasn't a band nerd, I was an Orchestra nerd... and our uniforms weren't quite as bad, but have you ever tried to play a 'cello in a skirt? Yikes!

Anyway, if that is what makes a nerd, then do we retain our nerd status when we no longer care about grades or haven't put on a stupid uniform in over a decade? (Assuming that the title is NOT self-imposed, as it is for those of us self-proclaimed nerds).

[Juu]

[size=1]Labels are dumb in general. The person who called you a nerd just can't think of anything to fill in that awkward silence between them and their 'posse'. Don't dwell on it too much. If you're happy with yourself, then that's all that counts. :)[/size]

[Tigervx]

[FONT=Arial][COLOR=Teal] Indeed, I believe in this new world of technology the "Nerd" or "Geek" Class is fading away, being absorbed by the general population. I don't really know any geeks or nerds, I know Chess Club people who hang with the fashion club people, and skaters who collect Warhammer 40,000 miniatures. I believe before there was a gap between the geek and the jock because of new technology and computers, but because of this new generation that embraces this technology, this gap is no longer there.
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[wrist cutter]

People who try to do in-depth analysis on trivial subjects.

[elfpirate]

[quote name='wrist cutter']People who try to do in-depth analysis on trivial subjects.[/quote]


Perhaps it's people who choose the entirely expected response...

I guess someone had to attempt to post something cleverly insulting, though, huh?
Effort is seldom rewarded- but no effort is even worse- no gold star for you...

[Xander Harris]

I think in the way it is sometimes broadly nerd is a label applicable to anyone passionate about something besides sports in high school.

Classically, however, a nerd is a guy with a flanel shirt w/one pocket on the front that has his pen. He typically has glasses that are so thick they could stop bullets. He spends his life with computers, and can make them dance, sing, roll over and take out the trash. However, he posseses the social skills of a frog. That's what I think most people think of when they think nerd. Kind of like a smart Napolean Dynamite.

But Bill Gates was a nerd and got rich. So now all of a sudden there are all these girls that think nerd is hot. Because rich is always hot in some people's minds.

Geek on the other hand, as the saying goes, origionally refered to a sideshow performer who would bite off the heads of live chickens for the amusement of drunk yokels.

Ja Mata,

James Bierly

[sakurasuka]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Well, everyone I happen to know (Except my spaz of a cousin) didn't really give a care what it meant to be a 'nerd', a 'geek' or a 'dork'. As long as noone was shooting spitballs at the for it, it was a trivial thing that had little to no meaning whatsoever.

Anyway, my cousin and I got tired of everybody calling us nerds one day and geeks the next. (For mere reason I find myself a fine mix between 'wierd' and 'smart' in the eyes of most...) We wanted to solve the age-old question of EXACTLY what qualifies you to be nerd or otherwise.

After much study and failure, we finally hit a breakthrough:

People call people the first thing that comes to their mind, mainly a geek if they're creepy, wierd, stupid, or if they have the guts to be the wierd guy in the class who eats anyhting. You know, everyone has one of the 'I'll eat the bug if you give me a dollar' guy.

Yet, if you're called a nerd, it normally means you're really smart and you dress somewhat more proffesional than your age. It can also mean you've got too in-humanly strait a bowl-cut.

A dork can be just about anything, really. Mostly used for clumsy people, people who aren't dumb and aren't brilliant. This one has alot more versatility.

Now, those are pretty set-in-stone, but now for the self-proclaimed nerd/dork/geek:

A self-proclaimed geek is someone who gets their thrills from touching their eye with thier finger to make the squemish scream. Really, a self-prclaimed geek is just someone who's really wird and not afraid to show it, more like WANTS to make it known.

Now, a self-proclaimed nerd is a little different. It is a little more grade-oriented. If you get all As, you can proclam yourself a nerd. If you answer multiple questions aloud in class you may proclaim yourself a nerd. If you are the one everyone calls to fix thier computer you can proclaim yourself a nerd. Pretty narrow spectrum. Nowadays, it is much more common just to use it if you aren't dumb, like to read, and can't find another place to fit yourself.

A self-proclaimed dork can be anyone. If someone tripps, they might say 'Sorry, I'm kinda clumsy... I'm a real dork, huh '^^ ?" but it can also be used if you forgot to feed the dog. Or if you forgot your homework at home. Or any of a thousand things. Dorks don't exist, just those who jump to a good excuse and this is the first one available.

Hope that answers your question.

Whew... I really need to get a life...

-Sakura[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[poo62.2]

Some of you may hate me for this, but i can't stand nerds. They make a stereotype that if your smart you cant be cool. And i think that?s a completely load.

I knew afew nerds that if they dropped the whole "geeky disposition" would be cool and great people...maybe im just saying this because most nerds in our year are girls....ahem...

Another thing that annoys me about nerds is that no matter how hard you try, they will outshine everyone else, making your efforts look like dirt (i mean i academic prepossess).....ok im kinda going off topic here, but if you want to go nerd searching here are afew signs of what makes a nerd.

[list]
[*]a sweaty disposition
[*]the smell of fear as you walk past
[*]always is early for lessons
[*]curly hair
[*]bow ties
[*]snorting when drinking
[*]panty wetting
[*]Bushy eyebrows
[*]teacher petting (e.g." Why miss. Walker, you smell like honey and flowers today)
[*]The musty smell of maths books they give off
[*]organised lunches to increase intelligence
[/list]

[Stuart]

[SIZE=1][FONT=Tahoma][B]Nerd [/B] : See, Napoleon Dynamite.
- Dictionary of Hack Helba[/FONT][/SIZE]

[Xander Harris]

[QUOTE=poo62.2]
Another thing that annoys me about nerds is that no matter how hard you try, they will outshine everyone else, making your efforts look like dirt (i mean i academic prepossess)
[/QUOTE]

Yes! Death to the smart people! How dare they make others look stupid in comparison! If only the whole world were filled with dumb people, it would be so much better. Just think: if there were no smart people you wouldn't have been able to come on the computer and give your opinion on this topic.

[poo62.2]

[quote name='Xander Harris'] Just think: if there were no smart people you wouldn't have been able to come on the computer and give your opinion on this topic.[/quote]

Hmm...Good point. It appears we have conundrum...I?m gonna need a racoon, a rubber egg, a smoked ham, and a whole lot of blue tac

[kenshinsbabe]

[FONT=Georgia]Some of you are sickening me. You're just perpetuating an extremely hurtful trend. If someone thinks I'm a nerd just because I get good grades and am smart enough to use big words and spell them right, well, they can think whatever the hell they want. I know that I've got my health, my friends, and my family and that's all I need. Anyone else who trys to tell me what I am doesn't know a thing about me.

For instance, I watch anime and am a devoted follower of quite a few series. People can't call me some steriotypical name just because I like to set aside time on Saturday to get my weekly fix. The word "nerd" can be really hurtful to those who hear it on a daily basis. In fact, because of steriotypes such as this one that are pressed on the fragile mind, some people develop serious mental problems and that can lead to suicide or murder. So really, names [I]can[/I] hurt you. Anyway, "nerd" is just a state of mind, but if pressed on someone for a long time, it can really affect them. It's a serious matter.[/FONT]

[Soliel]

[COLOR=GREEN]Hum... I don't think I've ever taken the term "nerd" as an insult. Then again, I'm the kind of person who doesn't really care what other people think. In high school, my friends and I would jokingly call each other terms like "nerd" or "geek" or "otaku"; things that are usually meant as deragatory terms, but of course we were just messing around with each other since we were all honors students and some of us were into anime. Also my brother would constantly, and still does, call me a nerd, but I'd usually just call him a dumb jock and the insults would continue to fly (gotta love your sibs :rolleyes: ).

I think I just, accidently, came to my point. Social classes like the "socially deprived nerd" and the "dumb jock" are molds that hardly ever fit in real life. For instance, I consider myself pretty smart, yet I have plenty of friends and my brother who is naturally athletic, also makes A's in subjects like math and Spanish. I guess what I'm saying is, that these stereotypes are hardly terms to describe real people, at least by their traditional meanings, and, at least where I went to school, people don't really use them as put downs any more.[/COLOR]

[MissWem]

[quote name='kenshinsbabe][FONT=Georgia]The word "nerd" can be really hurtful to those who hear it on a daily basis. In fact, because of steriotypes such as this one that are pressed on the fragile mind, some people develop serious mental problems and that can lead to suicide or murder. So really, names [I]can[/I'] hurt you. Anyway, "nerd" is just a state of mind, but if pressed on someone for a long time, it can really affect them. It's a serious matter.[/FONT][/quote]
[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]What doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It's a fact of life and it builds character.

A way of looking at it is that you know you're smarter than them so clearly their insults should hold no meaning. I'm not saying that I walk around calling people nerds because I think they need to develop other skills opposed to their academics. If they don't want to be a nerd anymore, fine, social etiquette allows them to change that image.. they can dress like everyone else (therefore blending into the crowd) and be the anonymous person that knows everything.

Besides, they weren't talking about calling people nerds, just the general criteria that would make people want to call each other nerds.

People will be labelled their entire lives. After they leave school and get a job they will be labelled with something. After they retire and if they end up in a resthome with a bunch of other old people, they will be labelled accordingly.

Anyway, I use to get labelled nerd.. back when I had braces, thick large glasses, short and scrawny, less than 5 friends and socially inept at playing any part other than the shy act.. not to mention really academically sound. I didn't like that so now I wear contacts, I don't have braces anymore and I've got a nice hair cut and I'm working on my wardrobe. The downside is that I'm a superficial little twit that is slacking academically making me very very stupid indeed.

But that's okay. I don't get called nerd anymore, just 'cute' and 'nice' since that's what makes people do a variety of things for me.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[satan665]

If you're not a jock, then you are a nerd. Cut and dry.

[EVA Unit 100]

I always thought there were 3 types of uncool people:

Dorks: Not of any strong obsession, but are uncool based on sheer wierdness. Equal to newbies in anime fandom.

Geeks: Have uncool levels of obsession, but at least attempts a social life. Equal to fanboys/fangirls in anime fandom. (Here's where I fit)

Nerds: Have uncool levels of obsession to degree of lacking any social abilities. Equal to Japan-level Otakus in anime fandom.

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Lets perpetuate more harmful stereotypes, you [b]whinging, nerdy, anime dorks![/b]

Really, 'nerd' is a subjective thing, as is any other stereotype, though it exists within relatively set parameters. A nerd is someone who looks geeky, talks with a certain degree of properness, or has no social skills, sits alone in class, studies a lot, sits in the library all of the time, has very few friends [though may have many nerdy friends] and...yeah. Basically, this is the kind of image I figure most people have in their minds when the word 'nerd' is whipped around.[/size]

[Shen Kusanagi]

[size=1][color=blue]Well, that guy the person that made this thread is me. I'm the one that used the term Nerd to describe myself. All my life including from my ex-lover that I was nerd, well people have picked on me. Yes I wear glasses and I don't use big words all of the time in my daily life nor writting as well, thought I dress as if I were a raver mixed with my nerdyness of life. Listen I said to said what others in the outside world has called me during Elementary, Jr. High, High School and now College but I really don't care. I used to alot of name calling thought I'm going to school on a racist campus, alot of the things that people say to me are very negative and yes threatning as well. I shrug them off like I do everything else. If you wish to hear more of my explinations then you know where to find me. Here or somewhere else, I've been reading everyone's post yet I find hard to believe that people who say death to nerds and everything else. Some people are smart some departments of life, meanwhile everyone has their strong points in certain subjects. Thank you for all of the response, I really enjoy everyone's opinions about this.[/color][/size]