Now that nerd/geek chic is in the full swing of things, tons of people wonder what the difference is between a nerd and a geek. It’s pretty weird because i’ve heard people get offended for being called a geek but proudly own up to being a nerd. Some people think this whole rise of the nerd/geek movement is just glorified hipster status and others think it’s about time the rise of the nerd/geek happened. I gladly ride the wave either way because i’ve been called both a geek and nerd my entire life.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like said “geek” is a person that can have one main super interest. Like, a geek can have other interests but really puts most of their energy into obsessing over one particular thing. Let’s say the geek is obsessed with Hello Kitty. They can tell you the entire history and makings that went into Hello Kitty with pride. The “nerd” has a larger amount of interests but is dominantly book smart. The nerd tends to pay more attention to their well rounded book knowledge but dip into their geek-dom by taking special interests in complex shows, books, events, etc.
As far as clothing go, a nerd is typically viewed as clean and conservative. You know, slacks, black framed glasses, tucked in button up shirts, everyone knows mentally what a nerd looks like. It seems like said geeks, dress in attire for their obsession. You would more than likely see a geek in a Star Wars t-shirt because they are geeking the fuck out all of the time. Geek on my friends!
I even think there is a difference in what geeks and nerds grow up to be. A nerd tends to get a ‘smart’ job. Nerds grow up to be mad scientists but geeks tend to have the more fun jobs. Geeks grow up to be artists, writers, illustrators, or whatever they can further their love for their obsession. This goes right into social status really. Geeks who grow up to be the fun folks, they often are a little more outgoing than nerds. It’s easy for a geek to be social due to the fact that they hold pride greatly in what their obsession is which leaks over into other parts of their life. Nerds are known to be a little more shy and introverted. Nerds also can get the ‘awkward’ label due to the amount of studying and time they spend learning about how to be the best mad scientist so they can take over the world.
Swear your allegiance! Are you a nerd or a geek? I think I am more of a Blerd Neek aka Black Nerd Geek. I love science and animal shows but have my fair share of geeky obsessions.
i’m a yoga geek.
Definitely a yoga geek.
In modern parlance, a geek is merely someone who’s enthusiastic about something. It’s become a catch-all term; e.g., football geek, wine geek, film geek. They’re not limited to a single interest, and more importantly, they’re not part of “geek chic” at all, despite the name. A nerd, on the other hand, is often used interchangeably with geek, but it’s usually closer to the “classic” definition: someone very smart yet introverted, with typically “nerdy” interests such as computers, science fiction, RPGs, et cetera.
You also forgot a third descriptor: DORK!
I basically said what you said. HAHA! I just didn’t go into full detail because I wanted it to be a fun light read. Geek/Nerd chic is a thing now and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. And no one ever wants to be called a dork. It’s almost like nerd and geek are something that is ‘cool’ and okay to be referred to these days.
Nothing wrong with being called a dork. You can’t take yourself too seriously!
Hi Latanya,
I love that you used my snapshot of the lovely Rosalind Friday, I do. What I’m not a fan of is the fact that my watermark was cropped out. You may or may not have done it and as a fellow nerd I’m sure you understand my position. Send me an email, I’ll get you a higher resolution, with watermark for appropriate credit. I promise it will still look as hot!
-e
info@edsoncarlos.com
No worries, love! I will be happy to fix it for you. I didn’t crop out the watermark it was a found image. I will definitely make it right because your work is fantastic. <3
I’m a half of both and proud of it!
And you should be, love!