Are all 'geeks' stuck up?

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By 'geeks' you mean extremely clever people right?

If so then I think I understand what you mean. Some really clever people look down their noses at others that are not quite so smart. [Academically i mean] But i would say that it's only a minority. Most clever people i know are actually modest about it.

Reply 21

Beef_Eater

Stop treating geeks as a ******* species. We are just people who know that studying hard will get as

somewhere big in life and hopefully make us rich. Yes we may not be good looking and yes we may not have had sex when we were

14 but look at us in 10 years time...You will see why we were geeks and why we chose to stay in instead of going to that club on

Friday night.

Reply 22

Asteron

Beef_Eater

Stop treating geeks as a ******* species. We are just people who know that studying hard will get as somewhere big in life and hopefully make us rich. Yes we may not be good looking and yes we may not have had sex when we were 14 but look at us in 10 years time...You will see why we were geeks and why we chose to stay in instead of going to that club on Friday night.

Read my comments above. If you think you will be rich in 10 years time for being a "geek" (I suppose that means you possess intelligence), then you are severely mistaken.

No.

*Star*Guitar*

*Breathes slowly to stay clam*

:tongue:

ahahaha, oh i do love being annoying :biggrin:

Reply 25

Beef_Eater

Asteron

I suppose people like to promote their apparent superiorities. Maybe it improves the self-confidence of geeks who feel their intellect provides them with success over the better looking people, and thus better career prospects, salary etc. Unfortunately for them, this is untrue as intelligence does not guarantee you success and fortune.

Read my comments above. If you think you will be rich in 10 years time for being a "geek" (I suppose that means you possess intelligence), then you are severely mistaken.

doesn't guarantee but gives a higher chance.

Reply 26

WelshBluebird

Not as a generalisation.
However, like any cross section of society, there are some that are "stuck up". But that's the same of any "social group" you look at.

Reply 27

Hubert Poo

treasureBelle

You know what advice Bill Gates gave to high school students in the US?

"Be nice to nerds - chances are, you'll probably end up working for one."

:tongue:

I like that. :biggrin:

I'd consider myself a geek, dweeb, nerd, whatever you want to call it. I was also bullied very badly, and, in my worst moments can be very arrogant indeed. Rationally, it's not something I'm proud of - but it quite often came about as a simple defence mechanism. We all have them and they're not necessarily pretty, but they are desperately functional.

Sometimes at school all I had to throw at these people was a few brain cells, and that can - quite humanly - become so deep seated a last resort that it becomes virtually instinctive. That, however, is my personal take on it - I can't speak for others really. But obviously it would be as foolish to generalise positively as it would negatively; regardless of intellectual ability, you're going to get really nice guys and complete ******* for a whole host of different reasons. That so much is life.

If you are in the least academic, and to the expense of sociality you are castigated for it, you're quite naturally going to board up what you have going for you against what can be a very vicious enemy in a very lonely battlefield.

So, it's not necessarily perfect, but I think in many cases it is understandable from a human perspective.

Reply 28

Geritak

Asteron

Maybe it improves the self-confidence of geeks who feel their intellect provides them with success over the better looking people,

Beef_Eater

Yes we may not be good looking

I love how being intelligent automatically means you're no oil-painting! :tongue:

Reply 29

Asteron

Geritak

I love how being intelligent automatically means you're no oil-painting! :tongue:

I'm just referring to the context of the thread.

Reply 30

Elektrolite

I always thought it was the opposite, usually low self esteem and stuff.

Reply 31

Bobifier

Beef_Eater

You say 'us' as if someone might consider placing you in the geek category. I hate to disappoint you, but unless you are some kind of freakish exception to the rule, I'm going to have to point out that I actually know nobody else who studies hard and also double spaces every other line and writes in purple and bold. I mean, purple? For God's sake, seriously, purple?!

Reply 32

amani-puresapphire

Geritak

How are we defining 'geek'?

Just curious...

hmm i wasnt sure what term to use tbh i didnt mean intelligent/clever people, maybe something more than that? People who are somewhat clueless when it comes to interacting socially i suppose and spend their time doing other things but they're also smart.

Reply 33

Poica

Hubert Poo

I like that. :biggrin:

This. Pretty much exactly what I was going to say.

Yes, many nerds are a bit arrogant and superior (speaking as a nerd). It's a defence mechanism, clinging to intelligence as the holy grail of human importance when we're being attacked for our appearance, social skills and everything else. The good ones fight against the instinct.

Reply 34

treasureBelle

You don't have to be a "geek" to be stuck up. :nah:

Reply 35

Geritak

amani-puresapphire

Socially clueless people can sometimes come across as stuck-up/arrogant, yes but the intelligence isn't necessarily the important factor. It's more about what they perceive themselves to be good at and whether or not they think (rightly or wrongly) this has any social currency.

Then again, I know of a few people who couldn't get more intelligent, or indeed socially clueless, if they tried... and nor could they possibly be any less arrogant. You only have to look at them for them to start apologising, lol.

Reply 36

SoapyDish

Not all geeks are stuck up.

Being stuck up could lead to becoming a geek, i.e. being socially inept loses you friends, so you study harder, so you're seen as a geek.

Or it could be the other way round - you study hard so you get bullied, and the only solution you see is to "rise above" the bullies by becoming arrogant.

Reply 37

Sporadic_Spontaneity

I think it depends on the person.
I have to admit, i don't think that geeks are stuck up.
Sometimes, they may seem abrupt (i may be stereotyping here - forgive me), but perhaps this is because that is how you learn to react to people who take the mick of you...

Reply 38

Picnic1

I think that unless someone is a genius, by which I don't even mean merely being able to get As all the time but to be able to come up with distinct, compelling, ideas from anybody else, then they need to learn a certain amount of humility. The genius will need to learn when to be humble as well.

But a geek is not necessarily a genius. A geek can be someone obsessed with doing exceptionally well at a limited strand of knowledge and using it in a direct way- chances are they will find at least a few other geeks who share this love. A genius, on the other hand, can be rarer. A genius might not be obsessed with EXCEPTIONALLY well at a particular strand of knowledge in a DIRECT way - they might be more interested in doing VERY well at many different strands of knowledge and linking them together or using them in an ABSTRACT way.

Reply 39

Sweyn Forkbeard

Your use of the word 'all' makes your question a little ridiculous.

However, that shouldn't detract from your point about 'geeks' being stuck up. A person who is perhaps socially awkward and may have been bullied at school is likely to have built up defences to prevent their self-esteem being damaged too much by those that they perceive to have positive attributes which they themselves lack (e.g. an ability to establish friendships easily). This could be anything from remaining detached from other people and thus appearing somewhat aloof, to the over-valuation of one's own positive attributes in order to compensate for deficiency in other areas, to the use of caustic humour against particular sets of people identified as the enemy.

This can combine to make these 'geeks' appear stuck up, bitter or antisocial. Doesn't make them bad people.

Edit: I've already seen some of these defence mechanisms on display in this thread.