Comments on: What is a nerd, anyway?

By: Natalie Davis

Natalie Davis — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:35:54 +0000

I hope not. Which probably means “nerd” is the correct description for me, and sadly, my high school and college yearbooks will prove it always was.

I’m with the HSM kids. Screw labels; we’re all in this together.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:48:10 +0000

I’m in an accelerated high school program (yes, currently), so the line has been a bit blurry for me. Some of us are certainly more nerdy than others within the program, but by the standards of the other students “on the outside”, we’re all nerds.

I’m pretty sure that I’m considered one of the more nerdy students of my program, but I don’t think I’m an actual “nerd”, per se. Case in point, my best friend is a “punk rocker” known by everyone in school for having a photo of himself being tackled and arrested by the police on the front cover of the daily paper, being rushed into an ambulance in front of the whole school for a caffeine overdose, and dressing up in bondage gear for Valentine’s Day. Typical company of a nerd? I don’t think so.

But then again, wouldn’t any reader of mental_floss be considered a nerd?

By: thebrokedown

thebrokedown — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:25:32 +0000

Look, my best friend in high school was a redheaded guy they called “ScannerMan” because he always wore a police scanner clipped to his belt. Was I a nerd? You be the judge.

By: cc

cc — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:00:18 +0000

Spacemonkeyx-

cartographers FTW!

By: DB

DB — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:58:47 +0000

To me, nerds, geeks, dorks, losers and all that are all completely different things. Geek always seemed to be the “socially awkward” term, in the sense that the person didn’t really understand or get along with other people very well. Nerds are those who apply themselves to something in an almost ridiculous extent, while dorks are those who enjoy being quirky and/or slightly nerdy. Losers are those who are so socially inept or have such bad attitudes that no one (or very few) want(s) to be around them.

I was thinking about this the other day when someone mentioned that dorks were fun, while nerds were elitist, and I came to roughly the same conclusion. I was a band/music nerd in high school, and I do kind of have an ego about that (heck yes marching drum corps), but I also really enjoy being a dork, such as being obsessed with Indiana Jones or pirates (or costuming–my friend got me hooked on that one).

By: drocker

drocker — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:45:39 +0000

I was voted most likely to drock. If you don’t remember, drock was an imaginary verb sometimes used in standardized tests in questions involving verb declentions. Beat that!

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:15:03 +0000

Your so nerdy. I mean purdy! *nerdistic laughter*

By: Jon C

Jon C — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:05:29 +0000

Nerds and cross-country have a lot of crossover in my experience

Is this because of their experience running away from by bullies? :)

By: jami

jami — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:58:00 +0000

i’ve always thought nerds had to be smart. that’s their defining characteristic. they can be cheerleaders or rock stars, but they have to have enjoyed some russian literature on the sly. i’ve always had my most powerful crushes on the biggest nerd in the room. so these people calling themselves nerds are flattering themselves, to my mind.

when i clicked the link, i was worried there would be a test for nerds and i would fail. but at least i’d heard of all your exemplars except fancy nancy.

By: SM

SM — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:42:13 +0000

The term nerd is simply another pointless label we need to free ourselves from.

It’s no proper badge of honour and I question the maturity of anyone that would use it as an insult.