Sick of it!!

[phys251]

I don't think this is an insult. Some people are just not good in social situations or are not good at reading and interpreting social cues and behavior. Its not a bad thing or an insult, it just is. Not everyone can be social.... to be honest, I like introverted people. They are usually really good one on one and can be very interesting- they just dont like crowds. I used to work in the science field (now I teach science) and, yes, it is generally true that math/science/computer people are non-social. They have to be because their jobs require large amounts of time working alone. (which is why I didnt quite make it and switched to teaching- lol). I dont think thats insulting.. it just IS. we are all different and some people dont like social situations.. so what?

No, that's actually not true. Nerds don't mind people any more than others do. Instead, what they lack is an instinctive knowledge of social norms and customs. Also, many of them constantly have to interact with others--which, again, can be a chore not because they dislike people, but because the particular mechanisms of interactions sometimes confuses them.

That's interesting in a good way about your personal story, btw...

[nerdy_guy]

No, that's actually not true. Nerds don't mind people any more than others do. Instead, what they lack is an instinctive knowledge of social norms and customs. Also, many of them constantly have to interact with others--which, again, can be a chore not because they dislike people, but because the particular mechanisms of interactions sometimes confuses them.

That's interesting in a good way about your personal story, btw...

I'm more of a nerd myself. I've got the same profession as Kayla's boyfriend. And I'm still capable of handing out some advice

[IndiReloaded]

Whoa, what the hell is up with that insult?

Its generally true. You may be an exception, but I know what I'm talking about. Shrug.

No, that's actually not true. Nerds don't mind people any more than others do. Instead, what they lack is an instinctive knowledge of social norms and customs. Also, many of them constantly have to interact with others--which, again, can be a chore not because they dislike people, but because the particular mechanisms of interactions sometimes confuses them.

^Exactly. The latter comment is just the sort of comment a physics or math person might make. I said socially retarded. Thats not the same as a misanthrope, which is more what you are describing about 'minding people'.

[phys251]

Its generally true. You may be an exception, but I know what I'm talking about. Shrug.

The stereotype may be true to an extent, yes, but why does it get so much attention? Is shyness somehow in the same league as aggression and being a jerk? By the frequency to which it's talked about, I honestly can't tell.

^Exactly. The latter comment is just the sort of comment a physics or math person might make. I said socially retarded. Thats not the same as a misanthrope, which is more what you are describing about 'minding people'.

Which begs the question: Why do some of us let that offend us so much? These same people that we like to make fun of, are the ones that program our computers, design our cars, keep our power grids online, create cutting-edge technology, help solve our energy problems, and many many other functions that most of us would absolutely suck at. Maybe, instead of poking fun at them, we should revere nerds for the incredible services that they provide to society, and we should look the other way more often when they make minor social faux pas.

[Kayla]

I say "who cares?" We are all different... Besides, look at all the people in Hollywood who are supposed to set some social standard- in my opinion, most of them are idiots- I would never want to be a part of that crowd.
Being called a "nerd" is not an insult. I like nerds..apparently I am dating one He may be a little slower to "get it" sometimes (he was clueless that I was even flirting with him before we started dating) but oh well.. he is way above average intelligence when it comes to other things.. that is part of what makes him so attractive to me

So again I say "who cares?!" We can't all be social butterflies.

[nerdy_guy]

Why geeks and nerds are worth it (from a female):

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they're well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are... plus, I've never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They're useful. In this tech-savvy world, it's great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They're more romantic than they're given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such... but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like 'em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like 'em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They've got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it'll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they're more attentive than guys who have more options. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they'll likely have mental lists of all the things they'd love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I'm not really familiar with this myself, but I've friends who've been intimate with geek guys and it's raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra... all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They're relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you're not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won't have to worry much about your geek guy getting his groove on with club hotties because, frankly, he'll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won't have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he'll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I've seen this happen.
Me: Eww. Victoria Secret's Models... They're so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!
Geek Guy: ooooooo...
Me: Hey! *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: What?
Me: Never mind...

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you'll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he'll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn't want to go someplace with you, you won't have to worry much about what he's up to. You'll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It's ok. He's used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren't jerks. I can't stress this enough. You'll more likely get Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?! than Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on... They're awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code... a geek can dream).

12.) They're rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won't care. He does too! They won't get pissy if you don't wear make-up or don't want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won't try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They're usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won't have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he'll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce...

14.) You'll almost never have to hear, Yaw dawg whazzap!! plop out of their mouths. Unless it's in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get wasted, so you won't have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps...

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that's a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!! Believe me.

[IndiReloaded]

The stereotype may be true to an extent, yes, but why does it get so much attention? Is shyness somehow in the same league as aggression and being a jerk? By the frequency to which it's talked about, I honestly can't tell.

Which begs the question: Why do some of us let that offend us so much? These same people that we like to make fun of, are the ones that program our computers, design our cars, keep our power grids online, create cutting-edge technology, help solve our energy problems, and many many other functions that most of us would absolutely suck at. Maybe, instead of poking fun at them, we should revere nerds for the incredible services that they provide to society, and we should look the other way more often when they make minor social faux pas.

I don't think it gets much attention. My post is simply relevant for the OP b/c her BF is a comp sci guy and I happen to have a lot of experience with the phenotypes I mention. I made no argument that math and physics specialists aren't useful. You seem to have confused me with someone who gives a damn that you object. You are far better off spending your time solving a group renormalization theory problem than trying to change my opinion about this. Big hint in there, somewhere, btw.

[phys251]

I don't think it gets much attention. My post is simply relevant for the OP b/c her BF is a comp sci guy and I happen to have a lot of experience with the phenotypes I mention. I made no argument that math and physics specialists aren't useful. You seem to have confused me with someone who gives a damn that you object. You are far better off spending your time solving a group renormalization theory problem than trying to change my opinion about this. Big hint in there, somewhere, btw.

Then by all means, don't ever consider changing your mind.

Why geeks and nerds are worth it (from a female):

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they're well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are... plus, I've never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They're useful. In this tech-savvy world, it's great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They're more romantic than they're given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such... but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like 'em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like 'em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They've got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it'll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they're more attentive than guys who have more options. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they'll likely have mental lists of all the things they'd love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I'm not really familiar with this myself, but I've friends who've been intimate with geek guys and it's raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra... all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They're relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you're not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won't have to worry much about your geek guy getting his groove on with club hotties because, frankly, he'll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won't have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he'll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I've seen this happen.
Me: Eww. Victoria Secret's Models... They're so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!
Geek Guy: ooooooo...
Me: Hey! *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: What?
Me: Never mind...

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you'll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he'll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn't want to go someplace with you, you won't have to worry much about what he's up to. You'll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It's ok. He's used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren't jerks. I can't stress this enough. You'll more likely get Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?! than Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on... They're awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code... a geek can dream).

12.) They're rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won't care. He does too! They won't get pissy if you don't wear make-up or don't want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won't try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They're usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won't have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he'll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce...

14.) You'll almost never have to hear, Yaw dawg whazzap!! plop out of their mouths. Unless it's in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get wasted, so you won't have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps...

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that's a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!! Believe me.

This post deserves to be set aside and stickied, IMO. Well-done.

[IndiReloaded]

Then by all means, don't ever consider changing your mind.

Why should I? I spent years at the world's best physics university in the world. Nobel laureates out the yin-yang. Almost all complete social retards. Again, I'm not saying they aren't useful, brilliant and nice people but my post stands. Interesting, hell yes. But fact is most people find it difficult to relate to that mindset. Maybe your younger generation is different, or maybe its only the elite of that group whose brains are wired differently but certainly the ones I know fit my description more or less. Even your own posts reinforce my opinion. LOL.

[IndiReloaded]

^ I think I may have just self-reinforced this point, mind.

[phys251]

Why should I? I spent years at the world's best physics university in the world. Nobel laureates out the yin-yang. Almost all complete social retards. Again, I'm not saying they aren't useful, brilliant and nice people but my post stands. Interesting, hell yes. But fact is most people find it difficult to relate to that mindset. Maybe your younger generation is different, or maybe its only the elite of that group whose brains are wired differently but certainly the ones I know fit my description more or less. Even your own posts reinforce my opinion. LOL.

*rolls eyes*

Fine, then. Go hang out at the local bars, where you can be safe from all the geeks.

[IndiReloaded]

^You're just making yourself look like an idiot. You can't be a physicist, not smart enough. Your SN must be 'phys' for phys ed.

[Mish]

Why geeks and nerds are worth it (from a female):

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they're well-meaning 9 out of 10 times.

2.) They're useful.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like 'em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like 'em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates.

8.) They're relatively low-maintenance.

It sounds like she's talking about some kind of pets instead of people.

Oh look, a geek! If you feed it and pet it long enough you can teach it tricks.

[IndiReloaded]

^ #6 & 8 are completely off.

[nerdy_guy]

^ #6 & 8 are completely off.

Why is that?