"Why Nerds Are Unpopular"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Omnis
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GT Pro
In Australia, the tendency to 'group' students, especially those in secondary school, according to their social and intellectual status is much less frequent than in the U.S. Even so, each and everyday I am, to put it simply, mocked because of my studious nature. It seems that those willing to put in, and show, the effort into anything pertaining to 'homework/work' and 'school' are frowned upon as they are seen as not having a life- not 'socialising' enough; a nerd, so to speak in their terms.

But, too bad for them, for I, and many others on this forum, follow the philosophy that it's not who you are and what you do whilst in school but what you have become when you leave it. Their disposition to placing me in the 'unsocial' category is perhaps true (I haven't 'hanged-out' with a friend or similar for approximately a year) but I put education far, far ahead of friends and partying. This is, to me, something I see as the obvious thing to do when university/college is just around the corner. The greatest moment will come when I've finished my double degree in Aerospace/Law at University (at the ripe old age of 22, considering my current age) and all the other 'stuck-up' classmates I once knew are still struggling as blue-collar workers with no real talent to their name.
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I think you've got a good idea/philosphy here, but with a poor execution.

Not socialising in over year is pointless. And what do you think it's going to gain you? You'll gain more from socialising/confiding in people occasionally than you will from not doing it.

While it is important to put schoolwork and studies at the top of your priority list, you should also make time for other things. Balance is the key.

And don't bet on the 'stuck-up' people struggling in blue-collar jobs either. While they may not come out with double degrees, there's more people that 'party' their way through University and go onto fulfilling, professional jobs than you realise.
 
Yes, relishing an asshole's plight means nothing when you are in the same boat and have not concentrated on or bettered yourself.
 
ferrari_chris
Not socialising in over year is pointless. And what do you think it's going to gain you? You'll gain more from socialising/confiding in people occasionally than you will from not doing it.
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It's not something I choose to commit to (attempting to 'socialise' is also not helped by the fact that I have HFA), but simply something I find hard to 'break-free' of due to being at a new school (I moved at the start of this year), and lacking items that many teens today think necessary (and thus being classified as 'weird' or not fit to be mixing with; e.g., mobile-phones).
ferrari_chris
While it is important to put schoolwork and studies at the top of your priority list, you should also make time for other things. Balance is the key.
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I agree. However, for me, activities such as Karting, drawing and gaming seem to work better.
 
Woaaa, haven't socialized for a year?! If you by socializing means 'getting laid' then I guess it's acceptable, but since I think you don't mean that, it's just karazy.
 
GT Pro
It's not something I choose to commit to (attempting to 'socialise' is also not helped by the fact that I have HFA), but simply something I find hard to 'break-free' of due to being at a new school (I moved at the start of this year), and lacking items that many teens today think necessary (and thus being classified as 'weird' or not fit to be mixing with; e.g., mobile-phones).

...
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Oh, OK. You didn't give that impression initially. it seemed more like it was by choice.
 
Threads like this are lovely. I was personally home educated my entire life short of college, which I am currently in, so I can't say I have similar experiences. What I do find interesting is how every one of my siblings both have many friends in college and are all what many would consider "extremely smart".

It's sad to see separation like this. From "Rockers" to "Nerds", personally I think it distracts from what's truly important about school, and in some cases ruins the lives of those who too deeply become entrenched in the ideology behind cliques. I believe everyone has the mental capacity to excel in something "smart", if only they would make the decision to do so.

I agree with the article when it says something to the effect of "Navy SEALs look like slackers when compared to how hard individuals work to be popular", it's just sad so many students choose to put all of their energy into one small basket with a weak bottom.
 
I think it's naive to think that education, and having a high paying job is the most important thing in life. I've almost completed my first year of university, and high-school was the most awesome time of my life.

I just went, hung out with my mates all the time, you had wild drunken parties every weekend. Hell, I'll even admit I picked on the nerds (Especially this guy called Andrew), and still most of my mates, including myself, got into what we wanted to get into afterwards.

Saying that 'stuck up classmates will end up will no real talent to their name' is just ridiculous. To me it comes across just snobby, as if you don't have any talent unless you get into law or medicine. Please. A lot of people I knew, who lets face it, were dick heads in high-school, are now earning quite a large wage because they've entered trades such as Electrician'ing, Building or a Mechanic. But they don't have any real-talent, do they?? Tell them that when you take you car in for a service or they're building the house you're about to live in and see how they react.
 
GT Pro
...Their disposition to placing me in the 'unsocial' category is perhaps true (I haven't 'hanged-out' with a friend or similar for approximately a year) but I put education far, far ahead of friends and partying. This is, to me, something I see as the obvious thing to do when university/college is just around the corner. The greatest moment will come when I've finished my double degree in Aerospace/Law at University (at the ripe old age of 22, considering my current age) and all the other 'stuck-up' classmates I once knew are still struggling as blue-collar workers with no real talent to their name....
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And Martin Prince is your real name ?
 
Casio
Saying that 'stuck up classmates will end up will no real talent to their name' is just ridiculous. To me it comes across just snobby, as if you don't have any talent unless you get into law or medicine. Please. A lot of people I knew, who lets face it, were dick heads in high-school, are now earning quite a large wage because they've entered trades such as Electrician'ing, Building or a Mechanic. But they don't have any real-talent, do they?? Tell them that when you take you car in for a service or they're building the house you're about to live in and see how they react.
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It indeed may sound like that but, relative to trade, the legal/medical profession is far harder to enter than trade. Scores to study such professions in university require, above most, incredibly high final-year scores (which requires high levels of determination in school, time management and cognitive ability). Compare this to trade, where you don't have to be highly intelligent, but merely have to make your way through TAFE or similar, of which are accessible to those just 3-4 years into secondary schooling. In a nutshell, a person studying for a degree of either of the professions you just noted would normally require a higher degree of intellect than someone who was working to become an electirican, builder, plumber etc.
 
Even though one may be harder to obtain that doesn't mean one requires less skill. If you don't know anything about building stuff, plumbing, or electrical work, then you may as well be doing brain surgery.
 
Loon
Even though one may be harder to obtain that doesn't mean one requires less skill. If you don't know anything about building stuff, plumbing, or electrical work, then you may as well be doing brain surgery.
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While this is true and intricate plumbing, building, and electrical work does require skill and training it doesn't seem to be nearly as intensive. I mean, I had a mold problem caused by a leaking pipe and in a weekend I learned how to demolish three walls, renovate my bathroom, replace plumbing fixtures, and rebuild three walls.

I doubt I could cut open a human body, fix something, and re-close it while doing some plastic surgery in a weekend.

Manual labor jobs are something that anyone can do with average intelligence and good physical health (and considering my dad showed me how to do all the above work with a torn rotator cuff that doesn't mean 100%), while specialized medical and science skills require above average intelligence and intricate physical control.

I don't mean to downplay the importance of labor jobs because they do require training and many people don't have the right mindset to learn them (plugging color coded wires into my mom's DVD player because she can't comes to mind). I couldn't have learned how to do the little I did without my dad to show me. And I am also pretty sure that many doctors and scientists would stand there staring at a plumbing job with a blank look on their face. They are good and important skill sets and no one could just walk in to the job and do it, but to compare it to brain surgery would be stretching it a bit. Putting in a half inch piece of copper pipe is not the same as repairing an artery.
 
GT Pro
It indeed may sound like that but, relative to trade, the legal/medical profession is far harder to enter than trade.
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That's not always a qualifier for difficulty. Some degrees offered now like tourism or 'drama' require stupid scores to get into, as do most Arts degrees as a whole. At my university my girlfriends course required a score 23 points above mine and her course is a walk in the park while my IT one is quite difficult sometimes.

As Loon says, everyone has skill in different areas, while yes it is skillful to do a heart transplant, it's just as skillful to be able to wire up a hospital that runs 24/7 which depends on power to keep people alive.

My main point that I never got around to was that as soon as people get into late high-school everyone forgets what the enjoy and wants to try to get into the 'prestige' jobs. I know 3 people who got into Law this year and each of them hates it, they only do it because 'LAW IS 1337 AND I GET $$$ LOLZ'. But my mates who loved being around cars went and got mechanics apprenticeships and love it.
 
I'll just
BUMP
this thread a tad.

I must admit, never before this year have I ever seen myself as a true nerd. But I must come out of the closet and admit it, I am a NERD. But not your typical, acne-covered, oversized-glasses wearing I.T-type nerd (geek). In fact, I personally look like I come from the opposite end of the scale as one of those 'surfer-dudes'. I just love using my brain, and testing the limits of my brain. And it doesn't help that I am literally studying all the time (even on school camp a week or so back).

But getting back on topic, I've formulated my answer to the title above. It is for the same reason that people find satisfaction in bullying others. Individuals have a tendency to bully other people in order to make themselves feel better about themselves. This is half or more the reason why nerds are unpopular and commonly abused. We are more intelligent and most likely to better succeed; jealousy is therefore inevitable. Also, on the latter, the 'majority' of nerds don't work out much and tend to have a below-average social-life. We are thus likely to appear bashful and timorous and unassertive if ever presented with a situation such as been verbally or physically 'put-down'.

Just my thoughts.
 

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