Nerd culture; what does it mean to self-identify as a nerd? What I’m about to write is half lighthearted frivolity and half serious…but really, what are the legitimate descriptors of a true nerd? Everyone can define the term as he or she sees fit, and no one can stop him or her. But I think the term has been coopted by too many people who want to appear fashionable or trendy.
I’m in MENSA; I’m a professor’s kid, I love physics and sci-fi…I think I get to be a bit of a stakeholder and guardian of a common definition of nerd hood. Before calling oneself a nerd was a staple of pop culture, we nerds paid serious dues living with a title that was foisted upon us, usually out of ridicule or being placed in a social caste not of our choosing. We have true street cred.
I was consistently ridiculed for my intelligence and skinniness. I excelled in STEM and was in the school band. I’m bad at competitive team sports, I have a large vocabulary (which I use in conversation), I have a deep and abiding interest in science, and I have a difficult time with romance.
If you’re a nerd, what’s your definition? I’d love to hear you let your nerd flag fly.