I am a nerd. For many years I have been called a nerd. I have been teased and bullied for it. I am proud to call myself a nerd however, this name does not hurt me but instead empowers me and makes me different. The names geek and nerd don’t harm me and I think of them as names that make someone special and actually more interesting.
In my eyes there are many defining attributes that makes someone a nerd. Now a geek and nerd are two different things. A geek is one who follows one specific genre such as a certain game, movie series, comic, fandom, or narrative. A geek is well versed in a lot of the world, history, and defining points and arguments for their love.
I think of a nerd as being someone who can master many different fandom bases, for me I am very knowledgeable in many different realms. I grew up on Star Trek and have seen every episode of every series multiple times as well as understand a lot of the background, history, and details. My main love is Firefly and I am apart of a lot of the Browncoats movements. I am also one for Star Wars, Dr. Who, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, and hitchhikers guide. That is just the scifi part, also enjoy many other shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Castle, Dexter, Trauma, Chuck, Office, Parks and Rec, the simpsons, and many others. Anime is something I also enjoy such as Sgt Frog, Shin Chan, Ghost in the Shell, Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note, Bleach, Pokemon, Yugio, Naruto, and Dragonball Z.
Not only do I follow tv shows but movies, comics, and video games. I grew up on Sonic, Calvin and Hobbes, Batman, green lantern, ironman, Thor, and Donald Duck comics and still enjoy reading them. When it comes to video games I have tried and played most of them, not so much recently due to time. I still love to play world of Warcraft, starcraft, legend of zelda, Mario kart, and age of empires. As for movies there are to many to mention but my top three are serenity, Simpsons movie, and Avengers.
I wanted to give you a list because a geek will focus on only one to a handful of these but a nerd is wide spread and verse in very many. This alone doesn’t make one a nerd however there are still many more aspects to it. Nerds are typically loners who have very few friends because of the lifestyle. We tend to get wrapped up in all of these different worlds and enjoy them that we don’t like the real world.
Nerds are also scholars and have a massive knowledge base to pull from. Typically nerds are great at the logical applications, math,and sciences but have knowledge in history and common knowledge. I am well verse in the sciences and have been to large science fairs and won. I am great with computers and fixing things but also having the understand of how things work. True nerds respect intelligence and if they don’t know something they will learn and discover. In the TV show Big Bang Theory, the characters have masters and doctorates in science but retain knowledge of history, facts, and other fields. I enjoy this show because it gives a nice taste of what it is to be a nerd and challenges as well as benefits.
A lot of people however call themselves nerds however they are nothing close to it. There was recently a PSA that was released on the net of being a nerd. These people who think they are a nerd are just really part of a fad. If someone says they play video games and Pokemon ok they might be but then again challenge them and really see what they know. These people wear large dark rimmed glasses thinking that’s what makes you a nerd, it’s not, I had to wear glasses due to eyesight and I like thin metal rims. There are so many differences from people claiming to be nerds and those who truly have been nerds all their life.
The video also states that nerds don’t like to be called nerds and that it is hurtful. For this I will agree, along time ago back in grade school I hated the term. Today I will say that I have grown to the title and actually consider it somewhat of a term of endearment. I say that if you can stand up as make a name something positive then you are stronger and I know I am intelligent and capable of a lot.
I am writing this because I want people to understand my meaning of the term nerd and that I am proud to be someone weird and different in a lot of good ways. You have the ability to be anything and I am comfortable with who I am. The true nerds will rule the world not the fake ones.
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