What makes a nerd?

[Teilia]

Funny, I always thought that 'geeks' were the people that obsessed over something to an extreme that involves the person in question making their obsession known to a level bordering annoying. So, an example could be...imagine this: the guy in your class that always wears something Star Wars related, always talks about the movies, knows everything about it, etc.

A nerd, as I've seen the phrase to be applied, refers to someone of generally higher intelligence that spends more time focused on their academic success than, say, their social life.

I fall into both categories and am dram proud to say so ^___^  

[Epic Fail Girl]

It's hard for me to put a physical description on a nerd, or what kind of person they are. Nerds to me are self-defined. If you can't admit to yourself that you are a nerd (and you really are) you are probably just self delusioned. Most nerds will openly admit to being what they are as will many stereotypes. Even those who claim to be labelled. I'm not going to give an example of this because I think you all can think of a good one.  

[MrBobVilla]

Its actually funny to think about but at my college among us Computer Science and Software Engineering students, nerd usually takes a backseat to newer terms like code monkey. I'm going to be a code monkey when I grow up! (Actually I already am one..)  

[Yousei Hana]

im a nerd xd i sit on the comp all day with nothing better to do 3nodding  

[Yasei okibi kitsune]

psychotic__Gal

Actually I hate all steriotypes... including the "nerd" one. People shouldn't be boxed into a stereotype just because of their appearance, personality, or interests... It's just wrong. I mean, you can totally think someone is a major nerd but you don't really know them. You don't know what goes on in their heads. There is no way you can. Plus, I think people can be more than one stereotype, which defeats the purpose of a stereotype anyway.

...I've been called a "dumb blond" too many times... lol...

Sorry that this is so... *searches for word* well, I don't know...

I KNEW THERE WAS OTHERS!!  

[Pandalover263]

Nerds are underrated... people don't understand that everybody has a hidden nerd that rears its glasses-matching-pocket-protector'ed face every now and again...  

[MrBobVilla]

Kevinthegerat

psychotic__Gal

Actually I hate all steriotypes... including the "nerd" one. People shouldn't be boxed into a stereotype just because of their appearance, personality, or interests... It's just wrong. I mean, you can totally think someone is a major nerd but you don't really know them. You don't know what goes on in their heads. There is no way you can. Plus, I think people can be more than one stereotype, which defeats the purpose of a stereotype anyway.

...I've been called a "dumb blond" too many times... lol...

Sorry that this is so... *searches for word* well, I don't know...

I KNEW THERE WAS OTHERS!!

I think its fair to classify yourself as a nerd, but I think it's more a status symbol for those who do nowadays than anything else. Just like any single personality trait, it alone doesn't define you.
But I do get your point. It's definitally a very greyish area.  

[LIL_ASHLEYD]

I don't like being put in a group like that you know like nerds geeks prepys goths and so on I look at people as possible friends not as a type of person so I wouldn't call me or anyone else a nerd or anything else whee  

[Jioruji Derako]

"Nerd" is a very hard-to-place stereotype, because in my opinion it changes over time.
Back in, say, the earlier 90's, while a large amount of people had a computer, not everyone knew how to use it well. So anyone who spent excessive amounts of time working not only with, but working on computers, talking about getting that extra gig of memory, would be called a "nerd". Nerd also seems to lean more towards a minority... now, nearly everyone has a computer, and most people know at least a little as far as how one works, why a faster one is better, and so on. "Computer nerds" are quite hard to come by lately...
Another is video games. At one point, not everyone played video games a lot. So if you had the attack combos for the entire "Street fighter" game, you were a nerd. Now, you're just a Gamer (because most of the people that labeled you a nerd in the first place own street fighter now).

Also, the difference between "nerd" and "geek"...
Mostly, a nerd is someone who knows "way too much" on any particular subject that might not be considered "mainstream".
A geek is someone who may not know everything, but obsesses over topics of the same sort. Here's an example...

>If you own every track ever made by a band that no-one else has ever heard of in MP3 format on your MP3 player... and you also know every lyric to every song... all 48 of them... you could be a geek.
>If you converted all those MP3's from the old cassette player you've jacked into your computer yourself, you could be a nerd.

Hope that helps...
And a disclamer, these are my OPINIONS. I'm not some expert or anything. And yes, I can be called a geek for a few of my own interests...  

[Death Scyth Hell]

why i hang with nerds and geaks i don't know but iam not one just there only link to a socail life an mad idid i mention mad  

[AHKyle]

MrBobVilla

I think its actually an obsession to a specific topic. I think you are a nerd if you can quote strange inane facts about a given topic that you have a real passion for. And it's not just about random facts, its more about understanding the topic well and wanting to know more about it, actually enjoying learning about it.

Wikipedia is a nerdgasm. Probably my favorite site ever... with the exception of Gaia and Youtube.  

[miyakoume]

DannoP

What's the difference between a 'nerd' and a 'geek'?

MrBobVilla

Or they are all nerds. Just idiots don't realize it when they are younger. I think this is somthing that definitally changes with age. At my age being a nerd is almost a status symbol. Even lots of girls look for nerds to date. It means the guy is smart, dedicated, probably loyal, and will someday have a good job.

Well, that may be all fine and dandy where you live, but where I live, people are idiots. Many of the people around my school have the intelligence of a 7 year old. They think someone farting is hilarious, hitting 'nerds' on the back of the head with rolled up university pamphlets in the dark is even better than farting noises, and illiteracy is A-OK! The morons I deal with can't even read a sentence from a book without stuttering, asking the teacher "How do I say this word?" and having the teacher reply with how the word is said because pronouncing words is oh so difficult. And it's not that these people don't like reading aloud around others, it's that they actually do not know how to read these words. And aren't they just the kings and queens of humour when they make their unnecessary 'jokes' when they see a few 'nerds' hanging out. Comments like "Greetings, Earthlings" and "Oh, it's just some nerds". These people are too stupid to realize that not all 'nerds' are obsessed with outerspace and Star Trek. I'll bet they don't even know why the label others as nerds. They have no clue what they're talking about, yet they continue their little 'act' as if they do.
In summary, people are idiots.

These peoples' age group is 14-18, isn't it about time they acted their age?

I live around people like that!