Smart?

themosthappy91

I'm sorry but since when the fuck has "nerd" been an offensive word? I know I'm on the younger side of posters here but in my experience that is not an insulting word. I know that "back in the day" it was an insult but that's definitely not the case any more and I feel like it hasn't been in a long time.

Everyone in my high school referred to academic team as "nerd bowl," including the kids on it- and they did so with pride. Half the profiles I look at on OKCupid (helping a friend with online dating) say they are looking for a nerdy guy/girl to date. If anything, people are more likely to use "nerd" as a humblebrag about themselves ("Omg I love reading, I'm just such a nerd!") than an insult.

Comparing saying nerd to using the n-word is stupid and insulting. 

hellohkb

As a POC, I'm also perplexed by the comparison of "nerd" with the N word and cultural appropriation. I think every POC in the entire planet would disagree with that comparison. Nerds haven't had to fight for their rights or been attacked or killed because they have a penchant for graphic novels and cosplaying or some shit.

VulgarGirl

PrettyGirlLost

Maybe it was the term "nerd school" that rubbed ppl the wrong way?

I'm a nerd. I'm queen of the nerds because I like to wear make up and I'm into fashion and looking good AND I was a Dr. Who fan before BBC rereleased the series, I loved Star Trek, I play RPGs and MMORPGs, and I attend a days teach classes at gaming conventions.

VulgarGirl

themosthappy91

VulgarGirl said:

hellohkb said:

As a POC, I'm also perplexed by the comparison of "nerd" with the N word and cultural appropriation. I think every POC in the entire planet would disagree with that comparison. Nerds haven't had to fight for their rights or been attacked or killed because they have a penchant for graphic novels and cosplaying or some shit.

Well when I compared it to the word dyke someone got all upset I was talking about being gay all the time. Just using some examples, didn't meant to be offensive.

So do you stand by making the comparison between dyke and nerd then? Because that definitely feels way off to me as well. Once again, nerds have in no way been legally discriminated against so even if you live under the (IMO, mistaken) impression that nerd is an insult, I think it's inappropriate to compare the two terms.

The bottom line is that being a nerd is basically universally celebrated now so, despite how obvious it is that you really don't like CMG and want to call her out whenever possible, this was probably a dumb fight to pick.

PrettyGirlLost

VulgarGirl said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

Maybe it was the term "nerd school" that rubbed ppl the wrong way?

I'm a nerd. I'm queen of the nerds because I like to wear make up and I'm into fashion and looking good AND I was a Dr. Who fan before BBC rereleased the series, I loved Star Trek, I play RPGs and MMORPGs, and I attend a days teach classes at gaming conventions.

It was the refrence of "oh my kids got taken out of normal school and put into nerd school" that I had a reaction to. And not a positive one. Calling it the "nerd school", like saying "this is the special school where you put all the nerds, away from those normal kids". 

If you want to refer to yourself as a nerd, go for it. I call myself a geek all the time. I like geeky shit, I geek out of over shit, I'm a geek. I also call myself a lame ass, uncool, and a dork. But I went to gifted classes in school and my parents just called them "gifted classes". And I would've been hurt if they called them "nerd classes". Cause when I was in school, nerd was bad. Nerds were the kids who didn't fit in, who were weird, and awkward, and not normal. 

I prefer the term Geek, as well.

I also was a "gifted" student, my siblings too, and my parents told us never to brag about it or be a dick about it to other kids, and they would literally have killed us if we ever dared told anyone we were smarter than them.

They wouldn't even tell any of us what our IQ scores were bc they didn't want us teasing each other! School destroyed the records by now, so I'll never know now ;-)

Maybe I could have been in Mensa, mom! Thanks!!!

CMGragain

Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.

justsuzie

MrsMack10612 said:

VulgarGirl said:

CMGragain said:

VulgarGirl said:

CMGragain said:

I used a lot of this when raising my children.  They were taken out of the general public school population and sent to nerd school, kind of like "Malcolm in the Middle".  I didn't want them to get the idea that being smart made them any better than other people.  I still like the article.  My daughter sent it to me.

Wow. Wow. Just. Holy fuck. Wow.

Yo, my parents are far from perfect but praise whatever deity is listing they didn't call my gifted classes "nerd" classes. 

Well, that is what my kids, and the other students in that school, called themselves.  With the rise of the nerd or geek culture, that term seems to have become more acceptable in their circles.

Yeah and I call myself a dyke. But you refer to me as one I'll read you the fucking riot act.

You aren't part of the group, you don't use the words. 

Doesn't that create a horrible double standard?  If a word is offensive, it should be offensive regardless of who uses it?  I do understand your point, but feel that if we allow any one, whether they belong to the group or not, to continue to use offensive words, we may never stop the use of those words.

"Offensive" words are only offensive if used in certain context or from individuals that can never understand the strife and hardships that are associated with those words.  Your logic is so flawed. When racial slurs are used by individuals of that race they may in fact be using those slurs with each other for many different reasons.  If you are not of that race, gender, sexual orientation, religion etc. then you really have absolutely no understanding or empathy for the "offensive" word. 

flbride2015

I couldn't get through that entire thing. It was terrible. Do smart people actually "self-identify" as "intellectuals?" I mean, as far as I could tell, that article was about people who think they're smarter than everyone else, not people who are actually smarter than most. I've met some brilliant minds and none have acted in that manner. The ones who have have made me questions how smart they really are.

kmmssg

I'm kinda late to the party but it is ridiculous to compare nerd to the N word or go off on a tangent about it.

I married into a family of nerds and have slowly become one.  We have enough engineers in the family to have a convention.  Now, not all engineers are geeks or nerds, but the ones in DH's family live up to the stereotype, God love every one of them.  I can win, hands down, the contest for who is married to the biggest nerd.  DH doesn't watch TV - doesn't do sitcoms at all.  When DS and I are watching BBT, DH comes in and watches long enough to check out the formulas on Sheldon's white board to see if he recognizes them and if they are correct.  Yep, I got nerd wife hands down.

Now the second generation is at it and I have 2 nephews who are engineers and a niece attending MIT on a full scholarship to become a chemical engineer.  They are pretty nerdy too.

DS has Asperger's and was bullied mercilessly throughout elementary and middle school.  As he learned more skills and worked with the school psychologist and autism team, he decided that when he introduced himself to new people at school he would straight up tell them he is a nerd and geek and has a thing for sharks, Star Wars, Magic the Gathering, and Warhammer 40k.  That little trick stopped a lot of bullying.

DS wears the geek, nerd badge proudly as do many of his friends.  He is going to start up at Michigan Tech in the Fall.  It is a major engineering school and also has a forestry program.  DS wants to study forestry.  When their team plays football, the students chant algorithms at the other team.  I.kid.you.not.  Uber nerd school.

This seems like much ado about nothing.

ChemFanatic25

My sister called my boyfriend a nerd for many different reasons. He was not thrilled about that. He took it as an insult. I've been called a nerd because of my enthusiasm for my field and what I did in school. Cool. It all depends on the person.

 

Nerd has most definitely been associated with negative feelings. Nerds got beat up in high school. They got picked on and bullied because they were 'different.' That culture is obviously changing but there are still people who have not forgotten how they were treated because of the connotations associated with that word. Just my two cents.

KatWAG

CMGragain said:

Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes.  

themosthappy91

KatWAG said:

CMGragain said:

Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes.  

What does this even mean?

KatWAG

themosthappy91 said:

KatWAG said:

CMGragain said:

Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes.  

What does this even mean?

@themosthappy91 I don't understand what is confusing about what I said? CMG is saying her son is a nerd and using the fact that he likes sci fi as an example. That is a stereotype.

Do you not know what perpetuate means? Or do you not know what stereotype means?

[Deleted User]

KatWAG said: themosthappy91 said: KatWAG said: CMGragain said: Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.
Way to perpetuate stereotypes.  
What does this even mean?
@themosthappy91 I don't understand what is confusing about what I said? CMG is saying her son is a nerd and using the fact that he likes sci fi as an example. That is a stereotype. Do you not know what perpetuate means? Or do you not know what stereotype means?
ETA: Boxes



If those are facts: that he likes sci-fi/fantasty and attends science conventions, then she's not really perpetuating anything, she is just stating the truth. I'd venture to guess that she is simply saying she was not trying to be offensive in saying "nerd," because both she and her husband identify as such, also. It seems to me that her son would also identify that way, not negatively. I realize I am just making an assumption there, since he isn't here to say so, but that's just what I am getting out of her post. 

On the nerd topic, I love being a nerd, and I also love being called one. It's not offensive. I'm a nerd. I wear a TARDIS hoodie to work all the time. Until a few years ago, I had a massive cardboard cutout of Legolas in my bedroom. I also watch Shakespeare plays while simultaneously reading them to see how directors interpret different lines (that'd be my academic nerdiness).

themosthappy91

abcdevonn said:

KatWAG said:

themosthappy91 said:

KatWAG said:

CMGragain said:

Thank you, ladies.  Your responses have warmed my heart.  Yes, I am obviously a nerd, too, and so is my DH.  Our son is a super nerd.  (He lectures and does presentations at  science fiction and fantasy conventions.)  Thank you so much.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes.  

What does this even mean?

@themosthappy91 I don't understand what is confusing about what I said? CMG is saying her son is a nerd and using the fact that he likes sci fi as an example. That is a stereotype.

Do you not know what perpetuate means? Or do you not know what stereotype means?

ETA: Boxes

If those are facts: that he likes sci-fi/fantasty and attends science conventions, then she's not really perpetuating anything, she is just stating the truth. I'd venture to guess that she is simply saying she was not trying to be offensive in saying "nerd," because both she and her husband identify as such, also. It seems to me that her son would also identify that way, not negatively. I realize I am just making an assumption there, since he isn't here to say so, but that's just what I am getting out of her post. 

On the nerd topic, I love being a nerd, and I also love being called one. It's not offensive. I'm a nerd. I wear a TARDIS hoodie to work all the time. Until a few years ago, I had a massive cardboard cutout of Legolas in my bedroom. I also watch Shakespeare plays while simultaneously reading them to see how directors interpret different lines (that'd be my academic nerdiness).

BOXBOXBOXBOXBOXBOXBOXBOX

Yeah this. It's not really perpetuating anything, it's just stating the fact that he does those things, which are universally considered "nerdy" (whether you perceive that as a negative or a positive adjective). Perpetuating implies an action or decision on the part of the "accused," which is absent in this case because CMG is simply stating a fact.

Let me try to break it down for you a little further: the statement "way to perpetuate stereotypes" caries a dismissive, negative and sarcastic tone to many native English language speakers. That tone doesn't make sense in this context because CMG was not only stating an undisputed fact, but doing so with obvious pride and affection. 

I hope this clarifies my question for you. Feel free to follow up with any further questions, as I understand these things can be difficult to grasp.

[Lookie, I can be condescending and obnoxious too.] 

FiancB

MrsMack10612 said:

VulgarGirl said:

CMGragain said:

VulgarGirl said:

CMGragain said:

I used a lot of this when raising my children.  They were taken out of the general public school population and sent to nerd school, kind of like "Malcolm in the Middle".  I didn't want them to get the idea that being smart made them any better than other people.  I still like the article.  My daughter sent it to me.

Wow. Wow. Just. Holy fuck. Wow.

Yo, my parents are far from perfect but praise whatever deity is listing they didn't call my gifted classes "nerd" classes. 

Well, that is what my kids, and the other students in that school, called themselves.  With the rise of the nerd or geek culture, that term seems to have become more acceptable in their circles.



Yeah and I call myself a dyke. But you refer to me as one I'll read you the fucking riot act.

You aren't part of the group, you don't use the words. 

Doesn't that create a horrible double standard?  If a word is offensive, it should be offensive regardless of who uses it?  I do understand your point, but feel that if we allow any one, whether they belong to the group or not, to continue to use offensive words, we may never stop the use of those words.


---------------------------------------

You're kidding, right? Are you also one of those people that try to say if black people call each other N word that you should too? Are you fucking Rush Limbaugh?

For another example, participating in a slut walk is completely different from being ok with a random guy calling me a slut.

madamerwin

flbride2015 said: I couldn't get through that entire thing. It was terrible. Do smart people actually "self-identify" as "intellectuals?" I mean, as far as I could tell, that article was about people who think they're smarter than everyone else, not people who are actually smarter than most. I've met some brilliant minds and none have acted in that manner. The ones who have have made me questions how smart they really are.

----BOXBOXBOX------

I'm just going to skip all of the arguments about semantics and say that I agree 100% with the bolded. This article has nothing to do with how smart people behave, as much as it's about dickwads who think they are smart behave. Only assholes do these things, smart and dumb alike.

CMGragain

Oh, I love it!  I do know a few people who behave like that.  They aren't friends - unfortunately, at least one is a realtive.  Thank you for posting your very well thought out opinion!

YogaSandy

I didn't read the article. I stopped after "smart people have an easier time in life and contribute more to the world." Really? Really? Sorry, I know the smarter you are the less you have to tell people, but I'm not a reg (reg lurker from TB / occasional contributor to TK). I am very smart (and don't do the things listed except maybe trivia). I qualify for Mensa, but living in rural Canada makes the application process difficult, and I truly believe IQ is not the best way to measure intelligence (sorry - just you guys don't really know me - so thought I'd give context. I hated even typing that out - too bragging). That makes me better than exactly no one.

Easier time in life? HA! Not that my difficulties were worse or more / less significant than anyone else's, but I would definitely disagree. And - sucky things can happen in life. Circumstances do not gaf how smart you are. There are also a bazillion people who contribute more to the world than I do. So yeah, I don't put any value in anything the article said (which I only skimmed).

MairePoppy

@YogaSandy - That's what I used to  tell my kids. 'If you're that smart, people will notice without you telling them.' 

YogaSandy

MairePoppy said:

@YogaSandy - That's what I used to  tell my kids. 'If you're that smart, people will notice without you telling them.' 

Exactly. And if everyone doesn't notice - so what?

ChemFanatic25

MairePoppy said:

@YogaSandy - That's what I used to  tell my kids. 'If you're that smart, people will notice without you telling them.' 

But . . . but . . . but . . . an article told me that in order for me to be "smart" I apparently have to be an complete douchebag to people and treat them like little peons.