Geeks vs. nerds

Steve Gilliard weighs in on the geeks vs. nerds debate and in my opinion, puts the whole thing to rest.

Well, the difference between geeks and nerds are worldiness. Geeks like odd, hip things, like Steve Earle, manga and Lupin the Third on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. They cackle at Sealab 2120 and love Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They wear soccer jerseys and build computers and appreciate sushi. I would be, by most definitions, a geek.

Nerds think chess is a great way to spend the day. They have collections of Isaac Asimov and Piers Anthony and think D&D is better when you dress up.

Geeks want partners, nerds want to be worshiped.

Dammit, I wish I had thought of this.

He goes on to describe and appreciate geek girls. I always considered myself nerdy, because I like to read so much, but under this delination I guess I'm more of a geek. He figures that many geek girls like the girly stuff, which is pretty accurate in my case. (The window that this computer sits next to has pink curtains. 'nuff said.)

Wanting to be worshipped, of course, is a result of insecurity. It seems that the major difference between geeks and nerds that Steve sees is that geeks are self-assured and nerds are not. He admires geek girls for their self-assurance, and I would say that I see that same admirable self-assurance in a lot of geeky guys. Yesterday my all too reasonable boyfriend wondered while watching a pick up commercial why anyone would want a big, bulky pick up truck instead of a small, swift motorcycle. He pointed out that small motorcycles and even small cars are a lot more fun to drive because they handle easier, so you can go faster. (Well, that's the condensed version of what he said. Car geeks will carry on about their obsession at length.)

I just laughed and said, "Well, if your vehicle is a penis substitute, then of course bigger is better." He rolled his eyes at me and went on about how the bigger is better thing is making traffic a nightmare. Stupid story, but I think compliments Steve's point very well--geeks like what they like because they just do, not because it fulfills some power fantasy. To a self-assured geek a car, and for that matter a penis, is just a tool that's only as good as the use you get out of it. That I think explains the sex appeal that geeky boys and girls have, at least to each other.