by rnebular
I admit to am all comduminhpassion.
The bottom of the garden is screened from the house by a thick 8’ high hedge it also protects me from the cold east wind coming off the North Sea.
But I am exposed to to anyone passing by on horse back along the lane that remotely forms a little known route between two small villages.
I allow my whole body to absorb the vitamin D that is freely given by the sun.
Does the the excitement of being discovered make me a nerd or a
Pervert.
I liked that this challenged me to think about my nerdiness or geekiness depending on how one looked at it. Perhaps we will talk one day. After reading the Geek Pride Day entries I realise that I probably come down on the side of dungeons and dragons geek rather than science and space nerd but i have a little of both in me.
I think you are right. I wonder If being a nerd also involves some form of autism. I often wonder if we are all autistic to some degree. It would surprise me if we aren't. Thank you.
Well of course the only solution is Geekaholics Anonymous. (Duh, I just searched and it already exists so this tawdry instinctive idea of mine is out of date before it even leaves the gate...)
What should the guiding principles be? We clearly need a buddy system, which could cause all sorts of havoc.
We are powerless before the force of our intellects...
Made my day, and will be sending you an email too. Happy Friday!!!
I've never liked the way people use "nerd" and "geek" interchangeably. To me there has always been a difference. I fully agree that someone can be a car geek or a medical geek or even a sports geek or a gym geek. Geekdom knows no bounds. As you described, a geek (to me) is anyone who loves something and wants to express that love to others - someone who "geeks out" about something. So we're on the same page there.
A "nerd" though, has always been something different to me. A nerd manages to channel their passion into some kind of success - academic, financial, even political. Success alone dosent make a nerd, but there is something in the way a nerd handles success that causes jealousy or resentment in others. Nerds draw the ire of their peers whether they deserve to or not.
And of course it's entirely possible, even common, for a person to be both a nerd and a geek at the same time.
So good essay, rnebular. I agree with your basic premise, and you make a compelling argument. But I don't think your two subjects are as synonymous as you imply.