A Geek or a nerd is usually defined as a person who has an unusually obsessive interest in a subject or mission that is obviously deviating and aloof from the mainstream interest in a given environment. For example, a person who is obsessed with science and technology and thinks about it all the time and does studies and research on his own on the subject and naturally keeps himself updated with all the latest developments in the field may be considered a geek or nerd. Likewise, a person who is literally obsessed with heavy metal rock music and thinks, reads and speaks about it all the time and knows the history, background and all the songs and bands of this genre of music may be considered a geek or nerd of heavy metal music.
A geek or a nerd has some identifiable trait characteristics. Geeks and nerds are found to be aloof from society and are socially awkward and clumsy. They are usually loners and do not like to be in company of others. Even in social settings, a geek or a nerd would keep to himself. And naturally, he would appear to be reserved, unconfident and timid. They can spend time alone on their own confined to their rooms or place of comfort for extended periods of time without any meaningful interaction with anybody. However, when it comes to their area of interest, they are passionate (almost fanatical) about it and nothing would be able to replace this inner world of theirs.
But how does society view a geek or a nerd? Unfortunately, society does not view geeks and nerds in a positive light. Society usually considers these people to be unfriendly, introverted, lacking in manners and good behaviors, mentally unstable or even mentally retarded in some extreme cases. But is this really so?
Contrary to popular belief, studies and research have revealed that nerds and geeks may be some of the most fascinating and intriguing persons. It has been revealed that the so-called geeks and nerds have great potential to contribute immensely to human society. They are certainly not antisocial. Rather they are law-abiding like everybody else. But it is their aloofness and passion that mark them apart.
One common attribute of all so-called geeks and nerds is that they have rich inner world. By this I mean that a geek or a nerd has great imagination, fantasy and passion. And by default, they naturally gravitate towards anything that is even a little bit associated with their subject of interest. And if they are left on their own, they would get lost in their own thoughts and solo missions.
But another question that naturally crops up is this “is it good to be a geek/nerd?” In my opinion, I firmly believe that everyone should be given the opportunity and privilege to be who God made them to be rather than putting unnecessary and unreasonable societal pressure and expectations on one another. But unfortunately, society has a tendency to quickly pass judgments and expectations on geeks and nerds because society has this belief that geeks and nerds should come out of their imagination and fantasy world and become more sociable, outgoing and outspoken. But I feel this is unfair.
God made all of us different. We all grow up in different families, backgrounds and environments. And what we encounter and experience at our homes, neighborhoods and beyond shape our minds, attitudes, behaviors and personalities in one way or the other. Some people like to socialize and do things together with others while some prefer to be alone and do things solo. Some people are loud, outgoing and outspoken while others are more reserved, silent and aloof. But this certainly does not mean that the people who are outspoken and outgoing and likes to work in groups are better or more productive than the reserved, aloof and standoffish ones who are on a mission of their own. Besides, God’s calling on each of us is different and nobody actually knows what God whispers to us in the middle of the night.
In fact, when we look at human history, we would find that all great achievers and accomplishers have been geeks/nerds in one way or the other. For example, today if we happen to go to a science seminar or exhibition, we may find photographs of Albert Einstein displayed all over the venue. And teachers and encouragers very often mention the name of Einstein and quote him to encourage and inspire young lads. But do you know that there was a time when everybody thought Einstein was crazy? His theories and propositions were scoffed and laughed at by the science community. Everybody thought he was a little far-out and farfetched. But today he is considered to be one of the most brilliant minds that ever lived so much so that after his death in 1955, his brain was even extracted from his skull to examine what made him so brilliant and so ahead of his times. Albert Einstein was certainly a geek/nerd in his own right.
Another example of a geek or a nerd would be the Biblical Noah who built the Ark and survived the global flood. The Holy Bible says that the Creator was so unhappy and hurt with the sins and debauchery of mankind that He decided to wipe off the whole human race from the face of the earth. But there was a righteous man named Noah who found favor in the eyes of the Creator.
So, God decided to save Noah and told him to build an ark which could accommodate his family and pairs of all kinds of animals. There are some important points to note here. Noah was already around 520 years old when he was told to build the Ark. And it took him almost 75 years to build it. Besides, Noah was building the Ark in a dry terrain faraway from water bodies like oceans and seas. Another interesting point is that it had never rained up to that time as dew came up from beneath the ground and watered the vegetation. So it is no wonder that the people laughed at Noah when he told them that water was going to fall down from the sky. And it was also no wonder that the people mocked him for building the Ark in a dry land for 75 years. But Noah did not abandon the mission because he had divine revelation and knew what was coming. Certainly, Noah was a geek and nerd who refused to conform to prevalent societal norms.
Today, we often take pride that live in the age of democracy where the majority rules and runs our affairs. But if we look at the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament we will see that God did not work with the majority but with individuals. The Old Testament is full of stories of God working with individuals. And in the Biblical stories we find that the majority was always wrong and rather it was the individuals (prophets) who came out vindicated. At first most of the prophets were considered as crazy and rebellious by their peers but in the end it was them whose revealed the plan and prophesies of God to the majority and changed the course of history. The prophets were all geeks and nerds in their own ways as they were obsessed and consumed with the living words of God.
And today, if you are wondering why I am writing about geeks and nerds, it’s because I feel that I have been a geek and a nerd to most people all my life as I often find myself at the wrong end of the stick especially in social settings. Society is very quick in judging people solely based on face value. But more often than not, the reality is found to be very different from what meets the eye.
And history is testimony to the fact that it is not the mainstream populace but the so-called geeks and nerds who have enriched our lives, our history and culture with their innovative thinking, imagination and solo missions/projects. And so today, rather than trying to get rid of this tag, I feel I should rather embrace it wholeheartedly and turn this inbuilt trait of mine into an asset and weapon to counter life’s challenges. I have all the characteristic traits of geeks and nerds inside me. And I am fanatically obsessed with the subjects that interest and fascinate me. And like all geeks and nerds, I am fortunate to have a rich inner world that can entertain, sustain and motivate me even when there is nobody to validate or endorse me, my beliefs and my solitary missions. And that’s all that I need to make my contributions to mankind and God’s kingdom.
