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Are Fake Geeks Dooming Real Ones?
mattnyc99 writes "In the wake of the Best Buy 'geek' trademarking and Miss USA calling herself 'a huge history geek,' writer (and self-proclaimed geek) Eryn Green has an interesting piece for Esquire on how so-called 'geek chic' is pervading the culture so much that no one appreciates an actual geek anymore. From the article: 'The difference between brains and beauty is that you're more or less born into good looks — entitled, if you will. Intelligence? That takes work. If the hallmark of real geekiness — of America — is determination, then we seem too determined to have an entitlement problem.'"
Nobody apart from other geeks has ever appreciated an actual geek.
Nothings changed, nobody appreciated an actual geek to begin with.
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." [Thomas Jefferson]
You do realize that "geek" does not mean "computer nerd" right? Calling oneself a "history geek" is perfectly valid.
If the hallmark of real geekiness — of America — is determination, then we seem too determined to have an entitlement problem.
LOLWUT? This statement makes no sense. It sounds like a perversion of a tea party truism. A salute to real American geekiness as our founding fathers envisioned!
In my mind true geeks apply an overabundance of detailed knowledge to an overly technical project that wouldn't interest the general population. Count me in.
-sent from my TI-92 graphing calculator.
-- Flame me and I will happily flame you back. Bring it!
Strictly speaking, a geek is a person that performs in a circus sideshow. Everyone else is a fake geek.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
One can be intelligent with little effort, and and awful lot of beautiful people spend a lot of time on their appearance.
"Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny! Free men pull in all sorts of directions" -- Havelock Vetinari
Miss USA-speak: "I'm a huge history geek"
English: "I read an article on fashion history in Vogue once."
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Geeking out over the true geekiness of other geeks? What a bunch of geeks.
That's why whenever I meet someone who calls themselves a geek I give them a 10 question quiz on the topic of their supposed 'geek-ness' . Made them beforehand of course, I'm not an expert in every field. If they truly are a geek, they will be happy to take it.
I made an app! Shoutium
Intelligence takes work? First I've heard about that. Sure, utilising intelligence to create new things, undertake science, refine and present new ideas, learning, building etc -- they all take work. I.e. it takes work to use your intelligence to its full potential. But I don't think that's the same thing as saying "Intelligence? That takes work".
That Miss USA isn't a geek just because she is a girl, or is it because she is attractive?
I haven't met her myself, but isn't it actually quite possible that she is a history geek?
"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson
The notion that JUST intelligence takes work is incredibly inaccurate.
Careful grooming, styling, exercise takes a tremendous amount of effort and practice.
The notion that your NOT born into intelligence is also incredibly inaccurate.
As much as we want to believe that ANYONE who wants to can achieve; not everyone can. There are skills that people are just gifted with, be it basketball, baseball, math, science, reading; these are all to the best of our understanding innate and intrinsic.
Now you may have someone who has the potential to be a beauty contestant winner who turns out to be a slob, or someone who could win the fields medal flipping burgers; the exception doesn't make the rule here.
Exercise, diet , makeup, hair removal, clothing, haircuts, healthcare, stress at work / school, sleeping habbits, alcohol , tobacco , dental care, etc ...
People seriously underestimate how much of a person's appearance is due to lifestyle factors and how much time you are willing to put into it. Yes, there are genetic factors, but frankly there is a heck of a lot of it that can actually be described in terms of effort.
Intelligence is not built; accumulation of facts is. But capacity for knowledge and abstract thought, critical thinking abilities... these are things you either have or don't have.
Truckin like the Doo-Dah man...
Who cares? I don't devote myself to the geek arts for mainstream acceptance. I do it because shit gotta get hacked.
- Dan
Geeks are usually known for liking things off the societal beaten path. And this story is trying to claim that geeky traits are becoming mainstream. Isn't that a bit contradictory?
The more you know, the more you have to say and the more you should listen.
I think of someone who is socially awkward, who also has an unnatural, maybe unhealthy knowledge of some subject in depth. Most often it is something on the outskirts of popular culture (Star Trek/Wars, Anime, 14th centuray blacksmithing techniques). I think the later part of my perception is the more important one.... passion for something not too many people really care about. I don't see why you have to be socially awkward to be a geek.
Personally, I'm well adjusted, good looking, have friends, a girlfriend, no problem performing or public speaking. Yet I program microcontrollers, buy a Kinect (or 3) just to hack it, watch anime, and here I am on Slashdot. I would absolutely consider myself a geek, and I have no problem considering someone a geek just because their unhealthy obsession isn't tech related.
Intelligence can be optimized with effort, but I think it's more something you're born with or not. I hate to be like that, but I think that some people are just smarter than others. (There is a HUGE difference between just being smart and what you do with it, however- nature vs. nurture, etc).
Nowadays, it is a pop-culture trend. Dumb chicks running around with the horn rimmed glasses because they want to look smart. Everyone THINKS they are geniuses. The self-esteem boosting tactics of the 90s have worked tremendously. Loads of Dunning-Kreuger effect abounds. The younger kids are calling themselves "nerds", which is something I or people my age probably never would have done. You didn't *want* to be a nerd in the 1980s. You hated yourself for it. The only solace you got out of it was watching NOVA or reruns of the original Star Trek with your friends, if you had any.
Okay... I'll stop here before I get bitter.
do() || do_not();
I always find it odd that smart people think those who work out 10 hours a week, eat carefully, and take effort in upkeeping their appearance are just born with their looks. But then when they are able to breeze through school without studying and learn new things with little effort, that takes real skill.
I have done alot of tutoring along the years, and have seen people who work alot harder than me struggle on topics that came very naturally for me. I am not conceited enough to think I am successful just because of my hard work, while those who are successful because of "just" their looks had everything handed to them. I have had my fair share of luck too. Almost every very smart person I know (the "actual" geeks the article is mentioning) was largely born with the ability to learn faster than most people. Sure most of them worked hard too, but usually not as hard as the people who struggled through College Algebra.
The abilities you are born with are also going to primarily determine the areas you work on developing. If you are born athletic, you are more likely to spend effort on physical activities because it will provide you the most immediate payoff. And if you are born with higher intelligence, you will spend more time reading books.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
Ok, being a bit more serious. here is what is going on.
Throughout the age of d20 and now d21 (how would that work?) in the prime material plane at least we've been making the transition from "ruled by braun" to "ruled by brain". In this new age STR, DEX and CON aren't important as they once were and so in this new world that values INT above all else, those that have the CHR, but not the INT have to use some WIS and lie about their character class. Because in the public eye, CHR is always important. Most people don't want to associate with character with low CHR scores, so they take people with a good mix of both and make sure they get to fight the dragon.
Nerd: Builds robots.
Geek: Role plays a robot
Dork: Dances like a robot
'Outcast' implies 'cast out'. A geek may very well be 'out' by choice. Knowledge can be a heavy burden to bear.
Imagination drew in bold strokes, instantly serving hopes and fears, while knowledge advanced by slow increments...
'Geeks' are in 'fashion' right now but I'm too socially inept to take advantage of it.
...
whats the reason for this suppression/debasement intelligent/different individuals in american culture ? can anyone give me a good explanation ?
I can't really answer that question comprehensively, but I can point to someone who made a fantastic attempt. Richard (no relation to Douglas) Hofstadter wrote a book about it. http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Intellectualism-American-Life-Richard-Hofstadter/dp/0394703170
[-- Trust the Monkey --]
Has anyone ventured off their campus only to find people that didn't go to college to be much taller. I TA freshman physics classes and there is a height difference just between the engineering tech majors(algebra bases class) compared to true engineering majors(calc based class). The intelligence gap is even more noticeable, yet those tech kids seem to put in more effort than the smarter ones.
And everyone I TA seems to put in more effort than I did, and none of them are going into physics.
Also, that kind of obsessive enthusiasm is highly associated with Aspergers'.
I've long since figured that geek/nerd * had to do with an obsessive enthusiasm, yet does it have to be enthusiasm for computer-tech or something else intellectual?
For instance, a lot of pop culture seems to engender a love/hate relationship, so what about people who are particularly enthusiastic about some aspect of that?
* (don't want to get into a terminology discussion over the differences of those two)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Miss USA was only 1 of 2 contestants in the contest to come out for teaching evolution only, and
spoke about it correctly referenced the stuart and tudor eras when talking about history,
talked about her book collection and has come out in favor of gay marriage.
She may not be a geek in the slashdot tradition but shes geek-friendly and since there is not
an overabundance of geek friendly smart hot girls I say cut her some slack.
I'm a sexist prick who works for a financial company and because I program, I consider myself a geek, even though I'm contributing nothing to geekdom."
Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they want me to work on a small payments system...