What’s with non-nerdy people identifying themselves as nerds lately?

[Anonymous]

I was at a party where I saw this young beautiful ex-college athlete describe herself as a nerd. She is far from a nerd in every way! So suddenly it’s cool for the cool kids to claim nerd-hood.

[Anonymous]

I had a millennial employee - now at a grad school program - whose gmail was [e-mail].
She wasn’t cool- in fact had a big sarcastic chip on her shoulder, but she also wasn’t smart or hard working.
Somewhere along the lines of not quite fitting in anywhere she seems to have just started calling herself a nerd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at a party where I saw this young beautiful ex-college athlete describe herself as a nerd. She is far from a nerd in every way! So suddenly it’s cool for the cool kids to claim nerd-hood.

She’d qualify as a nerd if she had all the above pLUS killer test scores, gPA, stem degree, some nerdy hyper interests. Heck she might even be a likable nerd that can also land and keep a demanding job (intellectually demanding and EQ demanding).

Just because you look good and are athletically coordinated (thanks Mom and Dad!) doesn’t mean you’re automatically not a “nerd.”

[Anonymous]

The nerds I know look and act like nerds so everyone leaves them alone and they don’t have to talk.

[Anonymous]

I must be lucky b/c I know a lot of good looking nerds and they are a lot of fun!

[Anonymous]

Have you been in a coma for the past decade?

[Anonymous]

There are many people who believe that nerdiness is about being interested in nerdy things, subjects, etc. So, some people think that if you like math games or reading for pleasure, especially something like science fiction that makes you nerdy or a nerd.

There's a lot more to being nerdy that just being interested in nerdy subjects, but there are people who don't understand that.

[Anonymous]

I like to think of myself as ahead of my time or a trendsetter.

-1992 high school nerd from small town Ohio

[Anonymous]

Serious question, op what do you think the word “nerd” means?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a millennial employee - now at a grad school program - whose gmail was [e-mail].
She wasn’t cool- in fact had a big sarcastic chip on her shoulder, but she also wasn’t smart or hard working.
Somewhere along the lines of not quite fitting in anywhere she seems to have just started calling herself a nerd.

I hate these people, the ones whose whole personality is being “snarky” or “sarcastic” and have decided to label this total lack of social skills as “nerdy”. no actually you just suck!

[Anonymous]

Revenge of the nerds. More than a movie. Long con of all the non-nerds. Yes, we use math.

[Anonymous]

If you don't know pi to at least double precision...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a millennial employee - now at a grad school program - whose gmail was [e-mail].
She wasn’t cool- in fact had a big sarcastic chip on her shoulder, but she also wasn’t smart or hard working.
Somewhere along the lines of not quite fitting in anywhere she seems to have just started calling herself a nerd.

I hate these people, the ones whose whole personality is being “snarky” or “sarcastic” and have decided to label this total lack of social skills as “nerdy”. no actually you just suck!

Bring nerdy is exactly that - uncool and lacking social skills. Sounds like this person got it right calling herself a nerd.

As higher ed becomes a status symbol, a lot of people humble brag how ‘nerdy’ they are in effort to seem, paradoxically, cooler, because they think they’re just calling themselves smarter. It’s an annoying trend.

[Anonymous]

The old school cool kids can't stand the spotlight shifting so they are trying to reclaim it, and failing.