I just listened to this episode. I agree with most of what you said, especially the part about fans and geeks existing in different spheres, even if they are geeks and fans of the same media or item or topic.
I still think self awareness plays a big part of the "nerd" mindset, or the lack of it. Then again, after listening to this episode, I realize there is a continuum.
Fan = mildly interested in a topic but leaves interest unexamined, unaware of the limits of their expertise.
Geek = far more interested in a topic, and has an understanding of the limits of their expertise, even if they know they know a lot.
Nerd = so interested in a topic they no longer have a measure of their expertise, thinking they know more than other people (including geeks and fans and even the people who are professionals in their interest).
And so when a geek meets a fan, they understand their own level of expertise and the level of the fan. The fan, if talked to as a human being, comes to an understanding that there are, or even *can be* levels of expertise beyond their own.
And when a nerd meets a fan, their lack of self awareness, and the lack of "theory of mind" as relating to non-nerds, creates a situation which gives arise to things like "fake geek girls".
Which made me think about this old diagram and how it fails to encompass fans into its three variables.
The definition of what is a nerd and what is a geek seems about as wobbly as what people consider anime to be.
My distinction between nerd and geek is that nerds have to have to be intellectual, but geeks do not. I think I agree with most of what Scott stated as his definition.
In other words, not much has changed in the past 15 years.
On the other hand, I really haven't met any girl that's had a bad experience going to a comic book store. But maybe I just don't know enough people or enough about the people I know.
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I still think self awareness plays a big part of the "nerd" mindset, or the lack of it. Then again, after listening to this episode, I realize there is a continuum.
Fan = mildly interested in a topic but leaves interest unexamined, unaware of the limits of their expertise.
Geek = far more interested in a topic, and has an understanding of the limits of their expertise, even if they know they know a lot.
Nerd = so interested in a topic they no longer have a measure of their expertise, thinking they know more than other people (including geeks and fans and even the people who are professionals in their interest).
And so when a geek meets a fan, they understand their own level of expertise and the level of the fan. The fan, if talked to as a human being, comes to an understanding that there are, or even *can be* levels of expertise beyond their own.
And when a nerd meets a fan, their lack of self awareness, and the lack of "theory of mind" as relating to non-nerds, creates a situation which gives arise to things like "fake geek girls".
Which made me think about this old diagram and how it fails to encompass fans into its three variables.
My distinction between nerd and geek is that nerds have to have to be intellectual, but geeks do not. I think I agree with most of what Scott stated as his definition.
On the other hand, I really haven't met any girl that's had a bad experience going to a comic book store. But maybe I just don't know enough people or enough about the people I know.
I think that there's probably some comic book page from like the 60s that depicts this same situation, just waiting for someone to notice it.