There’s a vlogbrothers video on this! I think it’s called ‘Shakespearean Insults’ or ‘Nerdy Insults’ or something like that.

There’s also the small matter of when the term “nerd” was taken as an insult, it was of the stereotypical nerd. The one who sits in front of a computer in his basement, has no life apart from whatever’s on the screen..and, in fact, is locked in his own little world alone. That’s the stereotype anyway.

I think in order to show that “nerd” isn’t an insult, you need to go deeper than the word. You need to define exactly what a nerd is. There’s the stereotype, yes, but go beyond that. A nerd isn’t simply someone who is passionate about something. Very rarely is a passionate football player referred to as a nerd. No, it’s the ones who are mroe academic, who are enthusiastic about something that isn’t clearly defined in society as “having a life”. I.e. Books, Science Fiction TV shows etc. It all goes back to the hobbies that were previously associated with the stereotype outlined above. I think the oppression of these hobbies comes from the US media’s emphasis on sports, how to succeed in life you need to not be reading piles of books..because that’s academic. Brawn over brains, if you will.

However,society has branched out. Those hobbies have become recognised as worthwhile, and even encouraged in people outside of the narrow educational system. Now, very few will call someone a nerd, simply because what they do is more socially accepted. The word, however, has remained with negative connotations, but very few people would be able to explain to you why it is a negative word in the first place, no more than people could back up why “faggot” is an insult…yes, it is a harsh word for homosexuals, but why was it an insult in the first place. If we look back, all it is is a term for a bale of hay?

I probably went off the track a bit, but I hope that you can get something out of it. Now I must go write about why the internet and reading are important to me :p

Being a nerd is simply a good thing, when you are a nerd yes there tend to be bullies who will take the piss out of you for being a nerd, I never really minded being called a nerd, because I take it as a complement, I take it to mean, “You are more intelligent then me, have a far more useful set of skills, and are likely to have a good future in life and have really awesome friends!”
And I think that’s all I have to say to say on that

I think the John quote that has been mentioned already sums it up nicely. But if someone calls you a nerd, it’s only an insult to you if you let it be.

In the basic sense, everyone is a nerd about something. Acknowledging it doesn’t change anything.

nerds have a negative connotation with our persons because of the way media has presented nerds to us throughout our adolescence. i genuinely believe that this way we’ve been represented does us complete injustice. nerds are some of the most passionate, intelligent, witty, hilarious people you will ever meet. we’re good people because with our knowledge of our own behaviour we can successfully avoid fighting and drama and focus on the things that we love. if you need any other reasons this video pretty much highlights the biggest perks of being a nerd. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0bSqMEBtJc

i think it’s annoying how society views “nerd” as an derogatory term. to me, the word is seen as a negative word by the majority of society because it’s a way for people who are jealous of someone’s intelligence to feel as though they’re superior. but i’ve always seen being a nerd a good thing. maybe that’s just because i do consider myself a nerd, though?

Ahh, but I think something missing here is that while being a nerd does make you a good or even intelligent person, I have know many people and still know many people who thing of themselves as nerds, and for the most part I would say they are, but they are are also other things, such as assholes.

Some people who are nerds let things go to their head and become “superior” assholes. Or some people who are mocked for being a nerd(and read carefully and don’t miss understand this point) in school, leave school and while they are still nerds they think because they were bullied, they now have the right to dish it right back out on to someone else.

I must also agree with @Luke some of the nerdfights out here do take the vlogbrothers opinions as ‘truths’ however no opinion no matter how many people agree with it is the ‘truth’ it does not become a fact by being believed by a large group of people.

So listen to their opinions and think about them and even use them to form your own. I think that most goes to the younger nerdfighters, I know myself that when I was younger I did take other peoples opinion as fact at times, and now it is something I try very hard not to do. It is one of the reason I like SxsPhil so much, he is all about promoting opinions(and booty).

I think thats enough of a rant for now. And now please use my opinion to help form your opinion, if you find it seems to fit fairly well.

@gaypher sir, you are sadly mistaken.

I think that any term used to describe how a person is is obviously not an insult, even if it’s used like one.
Jock, Baptist, Indian, Gay, they’re all used to describe people.
How can just /being/ something be bad?
What you are and how you act are two completely different things.
Racist, Pessimist, Homophobic…
These are insults.
Things you can’t change have been slapped with a negative connotation, because that’s where it hurts. If you’re being made fun of for the things you like or the things you are, then that is a terribly stupid thing.