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What is a Geek?

RymRym
edited September 2006 in Everything Else
Since both nerd and geek are essentially stolen words, I use the following definitions to both define them and to make them useful in actual conversation/argument.

Geeks and nerds have the same types, depths, and levels of interest. They are people with deep, often (but not always) esoteric interests that go well beyond those of the average person. A geek/nerd hobbyist is distinct from a mere hobbyist only in their depth and dedication.

So, what then is the difference between a geek and a nerd?

A geek is someone who has the deep, sometimes esoteric interests, yet shares a common bond with others who have similar depths. An anime geek will get along just fine with a videogame geek or a comic geek. A sports geek can find common ground with a film geek.

A nerd has the depth, but not the common bond. A comic nerd isn't comfortable hanging out with non-comic nerds. A sports nerd can talk shop with a sports fan, but would have difficulty with a manga fan/nerd/geek.

Nerds and geeks bond with other nerds and geeks within the spheres of their common interests, be it anime or MMORPGs or what have you. Anime geeks and anime nerds are indistinct from one another within the confines of anime fandom.

The geeks, however, also bond with other geeks of other spheres. They break bread not just over their mutual love of, say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but also over the understanding and commonality of having that deep of an interest at all. The Buffy geek feels a bond with the chess geek, and they can relate to one another.

Nerds bond over an interest. So do geeks. Geeks also bond over having an interest.

Comments

  • I see it this way. A geek wants to be a geek and is proud of it. A nerd wants to be normal.
  • edited September 2006
    It took me a long time to embrace the term “geek”. My change of heart centered around two things: I realized that female geekiness carried much less of a social stigma than I imagined, and that geekiness was really more about passion than a lack of social skills. Much like Rym I’ve noticed that as a geek, I find it easier to get along with a fellow geek than a non-geek, no matter what kind of geek the other person might be. This isn’t because we necessarily have more things in common, but that we have a strong interest in *something*.

    This is most notable in the case of my friend “Ellen”. After sophomore year she lost a lot of weight, became much more attractive and decided that the best way to expand her social circles and get a date was to become much less geeky. While I still enjoy her company, her decided decline in geekiness hasn’t made her anymore socially adept but the lack of engaging hobbies has made her less interesting. People should realize that begin a geek, and thus having an avid hobby, really only makes you more intriguing.
    Post edited by Hopallee on
  • Female geekiness has a social stigma?

    Considering the ratio of male geeks to female geeks is in the neighborhood of 100:1 I do not see how there could be a social stigma there...
  • I specifically left "social skills" out of the definitions to avoid confounding them. I suppose we could use "dork" and "dweeb" to be the non-socialized equivalents of "geek" and "nerd" respectively. I've seen dork used in this way fairly often.

    I agree with Hopallee in that I'm much more attracted (socially or otherwise) to people who have passions and interests. I cannot abide the company of uninteresting people.
  • I've always defined nerds as boring studious people who spend all their times studying and worrying about their grades and don't seem to have any hobbies. Geeks are people who devote alot of time, energy and money into a select few interests like games, comics, technology, computers, history, sports etc. Nerds get good grades, geeks.. often their grades suffer because of their obsessions.
  • Nerds get good grades, geeks.. often their grades suffer because of their obsessions.
    I would disagree. I think that one of the primary divisions between a nerd and a geek is that a geek has strong interests that enhance their life rather than detract from it (school, social circles, love life). This is distinct from a nerd who is so insular that their interests, while possibly similar to a geek, get in the way of reaching out to others.
  • Let's not forget about the Geek's penchant for chicken, particularly the head. :)
  • Let's not forget about the Geek's penchant for chicken, particularly the head. :)
    I was wondering when someone was going to bring up the original etymology.
  • I was wondering when someone was going to bring up the original etymology.
    While I like to think the same way as Rym and everyone else because I identify with the term Geek, the dictionary is not kind to Geek or to Nerd. Our definitions are merely sentimental. I'm quite guilty of this and I should not insist on proper semantics in others if I'm willing to be fanciful in my own word definitions.
  • What is a geek you ask?

    I find that it is nothing but another stereotype created so Americans can label people.
    At first geek and nerd were used as derogatory terms and were considered insulting, but as time went on people starting calling themselves geeks just as people call themselves jocks/preps/etc making the term non derogatory. But It's still a stereotype; something that becomes too broad too find a definition for.

    I got called goth, geek, and many other labels through my college life, but if you ask ten "goths" what is "goth" you will probably end up with 11 different answers.
    That same statement will hold true of you ask ten different "geeks" what geek is.

    ((Sorry for the poorly worded rant here.))
  • I would have to agree that geeks socialize with other geeks more easily then non-geeks.

    I give you an example. In the situation where you, for whatever reason, need to connect with someone, when you find out they're into Star Trek hardcore, or can quote all of Monty Python, or knows every single Dragonball's plot, it's much easier to connect with them.
  • Considering the ratio of male geeks to female geeks is in the neighborhood of 100:1 I do not see how there could be a social stigma there...
    Its not a stigma in the "geek" community its a stigma in the female community. Boys play computer games, girls are meant to think they are boring and stupid and meant to want to "like go shopping and get our nails done at this like totally hot place!" *shudder*
  • edited September 2006
    Considering the ratio of male geeks to female geeks is in the neighborhood of 100:1 I do not see how there could be a social stigma there...
    Its not a stigma in the "geek" community its a stigma in the female community. Boys play computer games, girls are meant to think they are boring and stupid and meant to want to "like go shopping and get our nails done at this like totally hot place!" *shudder*
    Very true. Where I live, it's not socially acceptable for a girl to recognise the difference between Mario and Luigi, but it is acceptable to be a total bitch to complete strangers. WTF.
    Post edited by Gwen on
  • I'm going to play the part of the typical prep: "All you nerds, and geeks, and dorks are like so weird."
  • Where I live, it's not socially acceptable for a girl to recognise the difference between Mario and Luigi
    On our turf, it's not socially acceptable to not recognize the difference between Mario and Luigi.

    You live in a scary and foreign land.
  • edited September 2006
    Considering the ratio of male geeks to female geeks is in the neighborhood of 100:1 I do not see how there could be a social stigma there...
    Its not a stigma in the "geek" community its a stigma in the female community. Boys play computer games, girls are meant to think they are boring and stupid and meant to want to "like go shopping and get our nails done at this like totally hot place!" *shudder*
    There is this perception that female geeks are more rare than a true statement from the bush administration. Yet I have almost as many geeky female friends as geeky male friends, not to mention the fact that anime cons are about 50/50 gender wise.

    While other forms of geekdom are less gender equal, of lot of that has to do with the “genre” itself. Underwear pervert comics are a prime example. I love comics but it takes extra effort for me to finds something that appeals to me as a 20 something female who gets really sick of blonds in thongs.

    Female geeks may seem more rare than they in fact are because young women will often hide geeky interests and traits. One could propose that the pressure a girl feels to suppress her geekiness is an offshoot of the social pressure girls experience against being “too smart”. This phenomenon has plagued our society for ages and seems strongest during adolescence (aka High school). Society has worked hard to create a dichotomy between intelligence (and by association geekiness) and femininity (and by association attractiveness). So I think the “lack” of female geeks is really part of a much larger issue.

    While I know male geeks would love for more female geeks to come out of the woodwork, I’m sorry but society is fighting against you fellas
    Post edited by Hopallee on
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