NERD: Good, or bad???

[EricH]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

The simple terms of "Jock" would be as follows:
Jock - One who plays sports.

Now while that's the simple definition, it doesn't mean anything good or bad. The same thing with nerd. It's neither defined as good, or bad. It's your perception of the words that counts. If you define being a nerd or a jock a good thing, then its good. If you define them as being bad things, they're bad. There is no set definition on whether any are considered "good" or "bad"

You REALLY need to learn about connotations.

"Jock" also can carry the connotation of "dumb, cares only about sports, good for nothing except sports". As a matter of fact, that is the connotation it often (maybe always?) carries.

Is it accurate? Maybe, maybe not. In fact, probably not. But it's the perception.

I don't really care, for the purposes of this discussion, about the definition. I care about the connotation. The connotation of both "nerd" and "jock" is negative.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by EricH

"Jock" also can carry the connotation of "dumb, cares only about sports, good for nothing except sports". As a matter of fact, that is the connotation it often (maybe always?) carries.

Is it accurate? Maybe, maybe not. In fact, probably not. But it's the perception.

I don't really care, for the purposes of this discussion, about the definition. I care about the connotation. The connotation of both "nerd" and "jock" is negative.

QFT. Perhaps too often, perception is truth.

In almost every mainstream application of the word "nerd" I can think of, it carries a negative connotation. Even when joined with another term - i.e. "band nerd" - it denotes a person with an (unhealthy) obsession or fixation.

The only positive use of "nerd" (Woodie Flowers' speech in 2010 notwithstanding) I can think of is the phrase "the people you call 'nerd' in high school, you'll call 'boss' when you're 40." Unfortunately, this phrase is often used by nerds in their own defense (which is kind of like saying, "will.i.am thinks we're cool!").

[MMassoni11]

wow so many nerds in this thread

[Carolyn Duncan]

I like being called a nerd. It happened the other night for the first time in a long time. I was in a bar explaining angles and physics around a pool table... Long story short I left quite pleased with myself and the owner tried to offer me a job! Hahaha! Who cares about connotations when you are driving a much nicer car than the people ragging you are? Who cares when, at a young age, you own your house and people who are considerably older than you don't? Who cares if you're the boss and considerably younger than your employees? Just food for thought...

[Blackphantom91]

Up until I got in first and really started to see what science and technology was really about in application I resented being called a nerd. I felt bad like I was an outcast. lately I've thought about the term nerd. and Now I take it as a complement I believe nerd stands for someone who take chances makes mistakes and gets messy! ( Yes I just quoted miss frizzle). I think nerds are essential to our society today due to the lack of people willing to try to make changes and believe in something. Being a called a nerd now just makes me smile and say thank you because I know I'm doing something positive and making a difference in someones life.

[smurfgirl]

It depends on what the person who says it is trying to imply by the context and their tone, as well as how you react to it. You can choose to embrace the idea of nerdiness as a celebration of your interest in a particular area (there are many types of nerds), rather than letting any negatively-intended usage get to you.

[Unicorn_Knight]

My team is more than okay with calling ourselves the "nerds" of our high school. Not gonna lie though, the negative connotation to nerds and robotics makes it hard to convince some people at my high school that the FRC competition is fun

[jmanela]

"Hey, Look at that NERD sitting over there and studying..." - the Bully

a few years pass... ( in the life of the NERD)

"Welcome to MIT"

a few more years pass...

"Here's your diploma!"

a few more years pass...

"Congratulations on engineering manager!"

------------------------------------------
now, the parallel life of the Bully

"...may I take your order."

[Sharp Cheddar]

Being a nerd in my eyes is a good thing, but some people just don't want to be classified as a nerd. So i just don't believe people should be quick to say robotics is nerdy.... no matter how cool being a nerd is

[SuzyQ.42]

Saw this post and some of the replies talking about the different meanings of nerdhood and immediately thought of this.

http://xkcd.com/747/

This aside, I for one am proud to be a nerd. The people who really enjoy learning, designing, and creating are set to build a better world. Would you rather have your name down in history as the one who solved global warming, or down in the yearbook as the one who caught the winning touchdown pass? By all means, take your jockhood. I'll take my love of science.

[B-Bot]

Wow this has been a debate among my team for many years. This is what we have come up with. nerds are cool but not nearly as cool as a geek. If you are a nerd you are new to the technological world and still need improvement. Once you have mastered your nerdy ways you then become a geek. If you are in-between the stages of becoming a nerd and a geek you are then known as a GEIT, which stands for Geek in training. This philosophy has been forming in my team for the past six years.