In the ongoing battle between geek and nerd, one must take sides. But how can this be done without a solid argument for both 
personas? It’s time to lay all the cards on the table to determine which is better and answers the question some fear to know: Are you geek or a nerd? The terms geek and nerd may sometimes seem synonymous, but they have very different roots in history. Geeks while used as a derogatory term originally, the word “geek” gained popularity in the circus. Circus performers that performed amazing feats were Geeks. Nerd was coined by Dr. Seuss in 1954 in a line that read “A nerkle, a nerd, and a seersucker too!” So really nerkle and seersucker are synonymous with nerd.
[sws_2_column title="Geek Traits"]
- Someone with a specific niche, interest and lifestyle that they have become expert on.
- Knowledge can range from mundane to “living encyclopedia” status.
- Can be pretentious and longwinded.
- Wears ironic t-shirts. Interests might include gaming, film (both artsy and anything Will Ferrel stars in), collecting gadgets, computing, coding, hacking, techno music, screen printing, etc.
- A fan of gadget at heart. [/sws_2_column]
[sws_2_columns_last title="Nerd Traits"]
- Extreme interest or fascination with academics.
- Introvert.
- Socially inept.
- Diverse and sometimes impractical skills due to broad interests in games, movies, science, computers, etc.
- Interest might include, Battlestar Galatica, LaRping, SecondLife, Physics, Chess, Fantasy or Sci-Fi stuffs, Computer programming. [/sws_2_columns_last] [sws_divider_basic]
[sws_2_column title="Likely Geek Jobs"]
- Web design/development.
- IT professional.
- Graphic Designer.
- Game designer/developer.
- Barista at an indie coffee shop.
- Record store.
- Bartender. [/sws_2_column]
[sws_2_columns_last title="Likely Nerd Jobs"]
- Rocket scientist.
- Reclusive professor.
- Computer programmer.
- Enginner.
- IT professional.
- Inventor.
- Work at a video store. [/sws_2_columns_last] [sws_divider_basic]
Geek Talk (You know you’re talking to a geek when they remind you of their “hip” lifestyle by discussing their “cool” habits or dropping pop culture references).
- There’s nothing like kicking it to some crunchy bass while enjoying a good Malbec.
- 60% of the time it works all the time.
- While pulling out their iPhone, let me pull out my pocket iPad.
- About 41% people would be comfortable being called a geek, and only 24% would be comfortable being called a nerd.
Nerd Talk (You know you’re talking to a nerd when they insert obscure references into a sentence).
- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
- The box said “Requires Windows 95 or better”, so I installed LINUX.
Geeks can fall for and marry non-geeks. Nerds marry only other nerds. About 41% people would be comfortable being called a geek, and only 24% would be comfortable being called a nerd. On average, self-identified geeks have a better view of themselves than others view geeks. After reading this, do you fall on Geek or Nerd side?
