Random Flavors of Pocky #09: Nerds Versus Geeks – Two Go In… Two Probably Come Out
I’ve always felt that the term “nerd” referred to a person who was very intelligent (sometimes to their own detriment), but for whatever reason, unfortunately lacking in social graces. These are the people you would see at school, discussing high-level physics and understanding them, while not being able to figure out how to ask someone on a date.
The nerd was your best friend when you needed help with your chemistry homework, but not someone that most people wanted to hang out with on a normal basis, because “they weren’t cool”.
Meanwhile, I’ve always thought that a “geek”, beyond the traditional definition meaning “the circus performer that bites the heads off of chickens”, was someone who was really into a particular hobby, regardless of what kind of hobby it is. Thus, you can have a comic book geek, a movie geek, a knitting geek, a flower geek, and so on.
Are all nerds also geeks? No. Are many? I believe so. It’s easy for someone who is very intelligent to fall into a hobby where intricate knowledge of a subject is an advantage. For example, many nerds seem to be sci-fi fans as well. Being able to comprehend complicated scientific theory (both real and fictional) lends itself well to that hobby. It also seems to give the nerd something to focus their extra time, as it were, on, since they often (again, this IS a generalization, but not a sweeping statement) don’t have too much of a social life.
Are all geeks nerds? Again, I say no. Just because someone has memorized all of the facts pertaining to their particular hobby, it doesn’t make them any smarter than me or you. And a geek without any social skills isn’t a nerd, unless they also have the requisite intelligence.
What about you, fair reader? Do you consider yourself a nerd or a geek? If so, which, and why?
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November 6th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Most definitly geek. I am far from intelligent enough for nerd, but oh do I have those geeky quirks.
Geeky quirks being lovable, of course.
November 6th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I am most definately both. I’m the guy who has a healthy collection of ecclectic knowledge about random topics because I tend to throw myself into something wholely and completely, to the point of obsession.
On the other hand, I also am pretty damn smart, if do say so myself. Perhaps not gradewise, but I do have a rather good learning curve. I tend to pick things up quickly. And as for girls, while I have had some success with the ladies, I am personally very insecure about asking them out…and I’ve got a livejournal full of angsty posts to prove it
So, yea, I’d say that I safely fit into both camps. Good post. I like how you guys have been adding in little prompts at the end of the posts to encourage commenting.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I’ve always considered the two groups roughly reversed, where a nerd is someone who happens to be really knowledgeable about their interests, while a geek is someone who may know a lot, but is also socially maladjusted. I’ve met a lot of these kinds of geeks at my old University’s comic book shop, who knew a lot but didn’t quite have social finesse, whereas I’m quite comfortable calling myself and everyone else in my current program complete and utter internet nerds (we’re in multimedia development).
I prefer to call myself a nerd in any situation, since for me the word geek evokes images of scrawny guys with horrible pubescent moustaches, and that’s definitely not a category I want to fall into.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:06 am
I would argue differently - indeed, nerds and geeks are very different, but occupy different ends of an intellectual spectrum. For example, my ka-tet and I are all geeks (or so our soulless, suit-wearing companion attests), and while we are quite intelligent, it’s an artistic intelligence. Nerds perhaps occupy the more practical and scientific end of the spectrum. This is not to say nerds as a rule are unimaginative, but that geeks typically are more creative.
And we have a nigh encyclopedic knowledge of many games, science fiction and fantasy worlds etc. and webcomics. You probably don’t get much geekier than a webcomic….
The fellow in the suit, who shall remain unnamed, puts it more succinctly.
“Nerds know a lot about useful and important things. We’re geeks because between the four of us we can probably quote whole episodes of Blackadder.”
November 7th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I’d rather leave the “artist vs. business/science/intellectual” debate out of defining a nerd vs. a geek, since I don’t think either word has any connotations of creativity, business sense, etc, and I think it’s completely possible to strive as an artist without struggling with business and technology. You nailed it besides that though: a nerd has encyclopaedic knowledge of the technical, and a geek knows all about the fanciful. In that sense I’m comfortable calling myself both a nerd and a geek, since my brain is what many would call a sponge since I have excellent recall of anything, whether it’s useful or just fun. (note: Art is not fanciful. Any director, writer, dancer, actor, or “regular”, a.k.a. visual, artist can tell you that it’s a lot of work. But it’s pretty cool at the end, so that’s nice.)
On webcomics. Oh webcomics. I read forty of them every day. Kinda sick.
November 7th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
I most definitely fall into both camps. Graduated HS with a 4.3 GPA (Gods that sounds like boasting, doesn’t it?), but at the same time I am the ultimate gamer chick. Name a game, an I probably have it, somewhere. (Is that boasting again? Sorry, trying not to…) Either way, I am both nerd and geek, and wear the labels proudly!
November 13th, 2007 at 10:46 am
A slight rebuttle there Rich. You stated that a geek specializes in one think, such as a “sports geek”. Well, I think there are “multi-geeks” although I prefer to still be lumped under the original umbrella. Because, everyone’s interests are varied. Personally, I am a musical theatre geek, an anime geek, and a movie geek. If you broke it down into a pie chart, everyone is a geek, and anything that falls into the purple side of the chart just happens to be what they geek out about. You happen to love R.L. Stine, you happen to be a Goosebumps geek. You collect tea cozies, you’re either a cozies geek or you’ve killed the man in the back of your pawn shop and need to cover the bullet hole in his head (kudos if you get this reference). *ahem* back to topic.
Where-in as much as I enhanced the cover of the term geek, I have some lsight diminishing remarks regarding nerds. Nerd is a state of mind. You can fall in and out of this. I know from personal experience. My early high school days, I could crack out calc and physics problems. By the end I was drawing, painting, and making goofy class film projects. I’m now a screenwriting major. Yay 180 changes. I mean, I can probably still throw those equations out there, but my life is a little more in bloom now that I’ve delved into my creative side. But I’m not trying to make a stand for “Art not math is the way!”. All I am trying to say is, life cannot be eaten by your toils at the grindstone. You have to do things you enjoy, so you can be happy. Happy = Good Personality Presentation.
So I suppose my closing morale is, Give the nerd a vacation. Embrace the geek.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Also, Rich, from what little we have spoke, you are a nerd. You are quite brilliant. And as far as social awkwardness, you can be scary.
j/k
December 5th, 2007 at 3:26 am
Wow. A lot of responses to a post that I thought most people would gloss over.
The main thing I’d like to say, beyond “Thank you” is that what I wrote was my opinion and belief, and it’s been very interesting seeing other people’s opinions and beliefs are. It goes to show that not everyone has the same opinion on what a particular term means.