I am a Nerd

I am possibly from the last generation who can say “I liked Sci Fi before it was cool”. Watching (or admitting to watching) Star Trek TNG was still not cool on the playground, and if you read books by Isaac Asimov, J.R.R.Tolkien, or Robert Heinlein, you were automatically put in the category of weird, at least at my small town elementary and highschool. Now, however, with new sci fi and urban fantasy shows rivalling cop shows for air time, along with the proliferation of computers and computer use, calling yourself a nerd is A-ok, even trendy.

This information is probably nothing new.

The term Nerd (as well as the related words geek and fan), has changed a great deal over the years as society in general has changed. Anyone might call themselves a nerd, or nerdy, but the true nerds, the people who fight over nerd cred, and debate for hours on whatever topic, are still the same at the core.

We are enthusiastic, sometimes obsessive, and to varying degrees, socially awkward. We have intellectual, even esoteric pursuits, and though many of us are introverted, we generally remain social creatures, despite our social awkwardness.

NERD vs. GEEK

Image care of XKCD

While these two words may have, at one point, meant different things, the difference is now largely lyrical. You can be a Gamer Geek, or a Computer Nerd, or a Sci-Fi Fan, because it sounds better than the alternative.

In the colloquial of the internet, you can also be a “fag”. You might call an artist a Drawfag, or a foodie a Foodfag. This may seem offensive from the outside, but I assure you that in the circles such language is used, it’s not really. Online discussions are susceptible to trolling, and building a thick skin for such things is helpful as long as you can remember the difference between that and polite conversation. 

NERD CRED

In today’s world, just about everyone has heard of Star Trek, so liking Star Trek is no longer an indicator of nerdiness. The same is true of video games, and will soon be true of Doctor Who, etc. Some nerds, as most people do, cling with great pride to what sets them apart as a mark of distinction. As the rest of the world becomes aware of what has been their sovereign territory up to this point, some nerds get testy.

Time was, Star Trek fans were some of the friendliest, most accepting people you could meet. Times have changed however, and as the world keeps extending an interest into the obscure, jealousy and self importance raise their ugly heads. Any clique or sect will be friendly and accepting of others who share their interests until some unknown critical mass is reached, at which point the “true” or “real” members will shun the “posers”. I dread the day this happens to Fur culture.

SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS

Not all geeks are equal in this respect. Some of us relate quite well to the world around us, while others have great difficulty. I’m not having a nature vs. nurture discussion here, but I can say that this isn’t necessarily just a case of brain chemistry.

One of the things which makes it hard for geeks to relate to the uninitiated is their level of interest in their particular pursuits. Going on for hours about classes and call signs of different star ships might be as fascinating to one as the stats and odds on a team to win the superbowl might be to another, but try getting these two to have a conversation together, much less, anyone not so taken to such obsessions. Many, perhaps most nerds have grown up in a situation where they were the only person taken to a particular obsession, or perhaps part of a very small group. They probably had few or no friends as children, and when they finally met people who shared an interest in a particular thing, it only served cause them to cling tighter to whatever it was which helped them relate to another person. At least, this is how it was with me.

ME? A NERD?

My love of science fiction began with Star Trek, and though I am now old enough to recognize its flaws, TNG was, and remains, a fun, nostalgic element of my youth. This love was cemented by my father reading me “The Caves Of Steel” by Isaac Asimov. I went on to read the rest of the series myself, even though reading a book is, to me, almost painful (more on this later).

Sci Fi, of course, is not the only thing which makes me a nerd. I love numbers and mathematics, even beyond my aptitude for actually doing it. I love physics and the world around me, which (for some strange reason) are traits to be frowned upon by the unthinking masses. I love video games, comic books, cosplay, fantasy books and art, mythology, history, venn diagrams, the list goes on.

My wide range of interests has made it difficult for me to choose a path in life, and so I’ve dithered for years between things I enjoy and things I’m capable of... but at last, I’m making my place.

I’ve been a nerd all my life, and I don’t feel the need to classify myself as a specific kind. I’m not a “Star Trek fan” or a “comic book geek”, I’m just a nerd, and anything different and interesting is worth a try in my book. Of course, that goes for all sorts of things which are not nerdy as well.

Open your eyes, open your mind, and try new things. Everyone can benefit from that advice.

Thanks for reading,


-Step.