You being a nerd/geek/dork

[Strain42]

I'm sure almost everyone on the escapist has been called one of these at some point. I know some people wear the names with pride. I know every now and then I have to see that really bad NewEgg ad where their very tagline is "take it from a geek"

But how do you feel about it? I notice that a lot of people react to it differently, and I think a bit part of it is simply context. Like I've seen people who call themselves nerds proudly. They do nerd things and are like "Yeah, I'm a nerd. No big deal" but when someone else calls them a nerd they get very offended and defensive about it.

I do consider myself a nerd and I tend to think it falls under the Donald Glover definition of "someone who likes strange specific things"

So yeah, do you consider yourself a nerd/geek/dork? Do you get upset when people call you that?

What are your thoughts on the label?

 

[Giest4life]

I'm a pseudo-nerd. I know--only superficially--about all things nerd: comics, movies, games, Pokemon, etc.

Although I'm a Tolkien, sports, and philosophy dork.

EDIT: I don't get upset at people calling me out, just at the fact that any such a label is entirely arbitrary and wholly retarded, I get annoyed.

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

I only take offense to being called a nerd/geek/dork when it's obvious that it's being said with malicious intent. I fully accept the title in the sense of "a person that is into stereotypically nerdy things." I mean... really. I watch anime, play video games, have an obsession with Tolkien and Edgar Allan Poe, am planning on cosplaying, and am trying to get a group together to try Dungeons & Dragons. If I didn't accept that I am some form of nerd, I'd be in some serious denial.

 

[Darth IB]

I am well aware of my nerdiness, and I'm happy with it. When someone calls me a nerd I reply with "well, duh" or "you say that like it's a bad thing".

 

[Phasmal]

My sister calls me `Nerd Girl` everytime I see her. It doesnt bother me.
I'm cool with being a nerd. And I like nerd guys, so it fits.

 

[Slenn]

Very nerdy, and proud of it. Specifically a science/physics nerd. I would not consider myself an anime nerd although it has provided inspiration for my anime-physics-maid-characters.

 

[TheKruzdawg]

Super Geek and proud of it! Most of my close friends are geeks too and I even "converted" one of them to our ways (ie, she wasn't previously that interested in stuff like Pokemon, zombies, Big Bang Theory but now she is).

I'm not upset when people call me a geek, as its usually in the form of a compliment. But I'm sure I would take offense if someone tried to use it to refer to me in a derogatory manner.

 

[manaman]

Nerds!

See OP it's just a word, you can't tell the tone behind it. You can't see if my intent behind it is to be insulting or not. Its not so much the word as it is the intent behind it in this case. Should someone intend to be insulting then its an insult. How insulted you are by their insult is another story.

So there you go. Not really hard to understand why someone can call themselves something then be insulted when someone calls them the same thing.

 

[Zantos]

In the context of gaming, films and TV I'll quite happily accept that I'm a geek, I get really into my sci-fis and games.

I do object to it in terms of education though. "You do physics, that makes you a nerd", "No it makes me employable. Hows the market for philosophy graduates looking?" (in fairness, after years of ripping people for 'useless' degrees, he had gone from philosophy student to full time McDonalds worker. Specific case, not representative of philosophy graduates on the whole).

 

[Silent_Protagonist]

I am a nerd and I am proud to say I am.

I find geek offensive though, I dont know why to be honest... dork IS an offensive term so I dont like it either.

 

[Total LOLige]

No one has used nerd/geek as an insult towards me. I'm not one of your smart nerds, I'm a game geek and I know useless facts that no one will ever need. I have been described as a film buff/guru. I don't care if someone calls me a nerd.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

If someone calls me out on being a nerd, I reply with "Yeah, so? At least I'm having fun".

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

I take offense to "nerd".

I'm clearly a geek.

Actually, I'm more of a wicken-geek.

I do other non-geek things.

Like fishing.

 

[Burningsok]

I wear it with pride, even when people use it as an insult against me I thank them like it was a compliment.

 

[Yosato]

Nerd and proud of it; no one ever really calls it me in a malicious sense so it's never really bothered me before, and in school it was never a problem since the average working class teen chav has all the wit of a slice of bread - they'd rather make their own nonsensical, retarded names up than call someone a nerd.

 

[theonlyblaze2]

I call myself a geek, so it makes me laugh when people say, "Yeah, well, at least I am not a geek like you!"

I am a geek of games mostly, though I do geek out over some movies and bands. OH and books. Almost forgot books.

 

[DanielBrown]

Not a nerd, or a geek, and have never been called one. I guess it's because I hung out with the cool kids way before I got into gaming, which is my only nerdy hobby. Had a few friends who were nerds, though I never felt comfortable around them.

Claiming that you're proud to be a nerd seems like a pretty weak defense mechanism to me though. To me "nerd" is a description of someone ugly/creepy with horrible social skills while "geek" is... someone ugly/creepy with horrible social skills that is also clever as hell in a certain technical area. So at least there's that.
Perhaps it's just me though. Tomato, tomato, eh?

 

[II2]

People who take me at face value, as a tall, athletically built, militantly dressed, skinhead* sprinkled with tattoos and scars and are often thrown if they get to know me well enough to realize what a massive fucking nerd I am.

I...
- Program Digital Signal Processors
- Play videogames / tabletop RPGS / wargames
- Enjoy cult movies / film geek
- Read/Write Sci Fi / Fantasy
- Read Comics / Graphic Novels / Manga
- A+ Student

I'm actually very personal and diplomatic too, which, combined with the look kinda belies the stereotypes regarding people with the sort of interests I have.

*[sub](no politics attached, I just don't fussing about hair)[/sub]

 

[meticadpa]

I'm a geek/nerd for sure. I like maths and science way more than any high school kid should (or does), I play games a lot, I read a lot, I build computers for fun and money, and heck, I even run a computer site. I also have just over 8,000 posts and 1,300 rep at one of the internet's biggest computer performance websites, www.overclock.net

I was going to create a long paragraph explaining stuff, but I'll just say this: you can be a nerd (or any label), but you don't have to fit the stereotype.

 

[BRex21]

I proudly proclaim I am a nerd, I love science and I spent last night explaining to a femail friend how all these new marvel movies fit together into an avengers plot. I have even gone so far as to point out with a cocked eyebrow that nerds make better lovers... although the usual answer I get is "You're not a nerd" so i'm not really sure how to take that.