Non-Smart Nerd/Geek

[icemanliddell]

Have you encountered a nerd/geek who turns out to be at least not academically successful?

Discuss.

Crash Course host and Fault in Our Stars author John Green is one I could think of. He calls himself a C+ student who won a high school award in Economics.

 

[MoparOrNoCar]

One of my friends in school had a 4.1GPA and was always one of the smartest kids from elementary school through high school.

He got a job at Best Buy in like 2001 and he's still there today. He just works the floor. Used to see him in there all the time back in the day and we would always catch up. As the years went on, the encounters became more and more awkward because it was obvious that everyone else was doing something more with their lives and he still had his right out of high school job. I went in there about a year ago and saw him and could tell he was just outright avoiding me. I think he's embarrassed of his situation. Not sure what caused his lack of motivation.

 

[JAEGERX]

most nerds are not smart, but hey, most people in general are not smart so thats that i guess, but there are nerds that are geniuses, just like non nerds that are genius, so the whole nerd label becomes pointless

 

[syct23]

I just notice that most nerds just get tattoos after HS so people will finally talk to them, even if it is only about their ink...

 

[minute bull]

I feel like the unsuccessful nerd falls into dork territory.

 

[Renard]

Geek is a large umbrella. Anything from the guy who paints miniature models of Warhammer characters, to a competitive video gamer, to a sci. fi. movie/TV fan, to a software programmer, to an anime otaku, to a STEM major, to a DnD player, etc.

The thing I see that loosely connects these things is higher trait openness, and probably male gender because males are more object-oriented on average.

People with higher trait openness have higher crystallized intelligence (acquired knowledge) on average, because they're interested in these things, hence a small correlation with factor g. However trait openness has no effect on fluid intelligence, they're not actually more intelligent, they're more knowledgeable.

 

[marioh]

Have you encountered a nerd/geek who turns out to be at least not academically successful?

.

I got thrown out of HS due to truancy, never went to college, and have a great job doing IT/AV work. Does that count?

 

[Madmick]

Have you encountered a nerd/geek who turns out to be at least not academically successful?

Discuss.

Crash Course host and Fault in Our Stars author John Green is one I could think of. He calls himself a C+ student who won a high school award in Economics.

You're describing a geek, not a nerd. That's the difference.

 

[Organic Damage]

Yeah, everybody and their mom is a "geek" nowadays.

Nobody wants to identify as a nerd.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

Yeah, the not-smart geeks are usually of the dirty, greasy, pimply-faced fantasy-novel-reading variety. More so just socially awkward dorky losers than full-on nerds. At least in my experience.

I always got stuck with those assholes in group assignments, even in college.

They look the part, but would rather talk about which swords are cooler/better or which elf race is the actual master elf race, instead of doing the fucking assignment.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

The most shocking thing about this is that, not only did some school teach economics in high school, but that they had an actual award for economics. My high school Econ class involved watching The Grapes of Wrath and that was pretty much it.

 

[Oblivian]

I know one that is not academically successful, yet he is very smart. He works at the courthouse doing the GIS mapping. It was very clear he is quick and grasps concepts at a speed of about 3-4 times as fast as his predecessors. I bring him in for an interview, and part of our interview process is the Wonderlic (aptitude) test. He had the highest score in company history, above the median score of a chemist. We ended up not hiring him because he had some credit problems, but also because he was content in his current job (at much less pay). Classic underachiever. He's way into video games, anime, superheroes, and hosts a "board game night".

He honestly had a golden ticket. He's around my age, and I'm building a team that I'm looking to keep for the next 30+ years. If things worked out and stayed long term, I'd have offered him profit sharing at minimum, but possibly partnering and looking to expand. He has no prospect for advancement where he's at, and the pay is awful as is.

 

[Cygnus A]

Have you encountered a nerd/geek who turns out to be at least not academically successful?

Discuss.

Crash Course host and Fault in Our Stars author John Green is one I could think of. He calls himself a C+ student who won a high school award in Economics.

There is a spectrum here. Are you talking about the image of being a nerd, or someone who is highly intelligent but appears to fail at life? I've known people who were extremely smart but failed to ever do anything with it either because they don't care, or have other mental problems (social anxiety, depression, etc..).

 

[Kraysla]

I'm building a team that I'm looking to keep for the next 30+ years.

If this involves fusing adamantium with a human skeleton, i'm in.

 

[IIIIIIII]

One of my friends in school had a 4.1GPA and was always one of the smartest kids from elementary school through high school.

He got a job at Best Buy in like 2001 and he's still there today. He just works the floor. Used to see him in there all the time back in the day and we would always catch up. As the years went on, the encounters became more and more awkward because it was obvious that everyone else was doing something more with their lives and he still had his right out of high school job. I went in there about a year ago and saw him and could tell he was just outright avoiding me. I think he's embarrassed of his situation. Not sure what caused his lack of motivation.

i'd say that it's perfectly fine to work at best buy. everyone's situation is different. but if he was intentionally avoiding you, then yeah, he's knows he's not doing as well as he could be. i think a decent amount of people end up this way because they are afraid of failure. pursuing what you really want to do can be scary if you feel you won't succeed.

 

[Frode Falch]

In my experience. Nerds think they are way smarter then what is true.

I think most nerds have a normal IQ. They just use it all in a small category. Like computer games and watching anime or bad scifi movies.

 

[Plutoburn]

You don't have to be smart to be a nerd. Being a nerd/geek is an attitude, the attitude that place intelligence in high places. Just like a jock doesn't have to excel in sport, just have to care about it a lot. Are hipster really creative and original? No because they are just following a trend like everyone else, but it's a group that easily identified as one that cares about that a lot. The truly creative and original people are often labeled strange or crazy.

 

[Joe Wong]

One of my friends in school had a 4.1GPA and was always one of the smartest kids from elementary school through high school.

He got a job at Best Buy in like 2001 and he's still there today. He just works the floor. Used to see him in there all the time back in the day and we would always catch up. As the years went on, the encounters became more and more awkward because it was obvious that everyone else was doing something more with their lives and he still had his right out of high school job. I went in there about a year ago and saw him and could tell he was just outright avoiding me. I think he's embarrassed of his situation. Not sure what caused his lack of motivation.

 

[Joe Wong]

You don't have to be smart to be a nerd. Being a nerd/geek is an attitude, the attitude that place intelligence in high places. Just like a jock doesn't have to excel in sport, just have to care about it a lot. Are hipster really creative and original? No because they are just following a trend like everyone else, but it's a group that easily identified as one that cares about that a lot. The truly creative and original people are often labeled strange or crazy.

Hold on let me read this a few more times.

 

[ookii]

I think there is a distinction between socially awkward and being a geek & nerd since the former is more content with life and does not want to higher more stressful opportunities. All the high level jobs has to do with interaction with clients and board meetings.

The nerd meaning has lost its meaning since the millienium where comic book, fantasy and sci fi movies dominate