Back in the day when I used to teach, I would often have students introduce themselves on the first day of class. It was an informal thing when students were just given general instructions to share their name, major, hometown, and a thing or two about themselves. I remember one student revealing, with some embarrassment, that he was a nerd. What happened afterwards was remarkable in that suddenly another and then another student began to introduce themselves as "sort of a nerd."
What struck me was that these students, who were in fact at a university that values education, were still hesitant to reveal their interest in science fiction, fantasy, video games, and, well, all the creative and interesting arts that are a part of being a nerd! It was something that they were afraid to talk about! At least, until one brave nerd opened the door and conversation in the room shifted from socially awkward to engaged sharing of favorite movies and games.
I have actually studied identity and even the most socially awkward introvert, needs to feel like they belong to a group. We all need to feel like there are others like us and that there are people who understand both our challenges as well as the things that excite us. It is my belief that the nerd identity is something that can bring people together if we are willing to bring it into the open as part of our identity rather than keep it as a secret that we are hesitant to reveal. If so many people are proud to describe what sports they play, why shouldn't we proudly describe the video games that we enjoy?
And importantly, I think that we need to understand that the nerdiness that unites us also has the power to bring together nerds of all kinds. In other words, don't just a nerd by their cover. That jock on the football team may be going home at night to join his squad in their favorite FPS. You never know who is cosplaying on weekends or waiting obsessively for that next big superhero movie to come out. It is our shared interest that bring us together and that is part of what makes being a nerd so inclusive.
At the Noname Nerd, that is our mission. We are here to create a place for you to feel like you belong. We are here to create a place for Nerds to share their interest without having to hesitate and feel ashamed. Embrace your inner Nerd. Join our tribe.
How? We are only as strong as the nerds that are part of our community. Help us grow our community here and join our private Facebook group and Discord server. We are all Noname Nerds and Nerds belong here.