How to Be a Nerd

Bill Gates has some famous advice: "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."^[1] In many ways, he's right: nerds make the world run, if not exactly ruling the world. A nerd is someone who can be so fascinated by quantum mechanics or punctuated equilibrium that one forgets everything that is happening in the present. A nerd can be someone who cares deeply about punctuation, because it has a definable set of rules, and it helps people communicate. A nerd may be someone who wouldn't know the first thing about asking a girl out because he thinks that engineering is sexy. And yet, all nerds are different. Whatever your definition of a nerd, read on for tips on how to think like a nerd, act like a nerd, and maybe even dress like a nerd.

Part1

Think Like a Nerd

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   Know the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. If anyone would care about the subtle distinctions between the three, it would be a nerd. Getting the distinction down is important but not necessary, as there may be significant overlap between the three.
   

   • A nerd is thought to be a highly intelligent person who has a singular passion about an academic pursuit. They are, rather, nonsocial or socially awkward, being quite absorbed by a singular passion of intellect.
   • A geek is thought to be an individual who is always interested in a niche activity or subject, but who is not necessarily academically inclined nor as socially inept as the nerd.
   • A dork is thought to be slightly sillier and also socially inept, but perhaps not interested in a niche or academic pursuit
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     Be singular. In other words, act the only way you know how, in a way all your own. Nerds are renowned for eccentricities because they are, each, quite unique. Live your life, every day, like it's entirely your own, like you are the master of your own ship. If you need inspiration, read about some famous nerds in history. Here are three short vignettes of people, considered "nerds," who did entirely what they wanted:
     

     • Thomas Edison, for example, spent 18 hours each and every day tinkering with rudimentary electronics at a time when it was still a relatively obscure endeavor. Edison labored to invent the light bulb, the phonograph, the alkaline battery, and an electric train, along with a thousand other patents, at a time when such invention were considered mysterious and amazing.^[2][3] Edison was a quintessential nerd.
     • Isaac Newton is a great example. He made many discoveries including the reflector telescope, calculus(both, differential and integral), Laws of Motion and Gravitation, Colours of light. He was usually busy with his research work. He didn't talk much. He is considered to be the most influential person of this world. He did not sleep much, about 3 hours.
     • Alan Turing is another famous nerd. Half-hero, half-scapegoat, Alan Turing is credited with helping to crack the Nazi Enigma codes at the end of World War II, as well as playing an instrumental role in developing the first computers of the 20th century.^[4]Despite his achievements, he was later prosecuted by the British government for a homosexual encounter and was forced to take estrogen injections to "neutralize his libido."^[5] Turing killed himself not long after the trial.
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     Find a subject or subjects that you can immerse yourself in. It doesn't need to be science-related, although researchers are finding that increasingly numbers of autistic individuals (who often qualify as nerdy) are drawn to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM majors).^[6] Learn as much as you can about the subjects you are interested in, and safeguard that knowledge so that you can use it effectively later on.
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     Question, constantly. Many nerds are defined by their ability — some say habit — to question the information they receive until they are satisfied about its authenticity or understand the logic behind it. To be a nerd, you must be on an insatiable quest for knowledge. To be on an insatiable quest for knowledge, you must constantly question the quality, source, and utility of information you receive.
     

     • Don't trust information just because it comes from an authority figure. Nerds understand that figures of authority can sometimes get away with misleading or falsified information simply because of their power. The difference between a nerd and a plebe (tradesman/common laborer) is that the nerd will pore over Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers to see whether they hold-up, while the plebe (simple) takes the information/propaganda for granted.
     • Get to the root of things. A nerd will understand a question inside and out. A nerd will not rely on memorized information, but rather on understanding a concept. If a nerd asks the question "Why is the sky blue?" and is given the answer, "Because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light,"^[7] her next question will inevitably be: "Why do molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light?" She will continue the line of questioning until the answer relates to something she already understands completely.
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     Examine the details. The devil may be in the details, but that doesn't mean you can't embrace them. (That was Vladimir Nabokov's advice to his students.^[8]) The nerd may prefer concrete details over generalizing statements because details can be cross-checked by reality more easily than generalities can. The nerd cares more about being right than appearing smart, so he grabs onto details as a way of investigating reality.
     

     • No wonder, then, that nerds tend to gravitate towards the sci, tech, eng, math, i.e.: STEM majors: STEMs deal plainly in facts and systems observable in nature, whereas many other more subjective disciplines lack the objective, fact-checking component.
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          Go toward the gray areas. No, this is not an obscure fashion directive; it's a way of thinking. Nerds tend to see gray areas where others see black and white. This is because nerds are good at examining pros and cons, comparison and contrasts, theses and rebuttals. They devalue their own opinion and focus on the "quantifiable" facts. Sometimes, this leaves them looking like occupational vacillators, constantly seesawing back and forth between "sides" of an argument (arguing with themselves, it may seem). In fact, they are gathering information and waiting for pre-aligned, set "opinion" (conclusion) to hit them with the force of facts, instead of forming an opinion (hypothesis) that one begins justifying by supporting facts.
          

          • There are several scientific/philosophical theories that nerds who love the gray area reference. It might be helpful to get familiar with just a few of them:
            
            • Thomas Kuhn's paradigm shifts: Periods of "normal science" are interrupted by periods of "revolutionary science," called paradigm shifts that are relentlessly discussed and expounded (defined, diagrammed, flow-charted, mapped, extrapolated, spanning and forming a new amalgam, a new reality...). For STEMs adherents paradigm shifts are entirely new, focuses of scientific thinking and concentration.^[9]
            • Kurt Gödel's incompleteness: It's impossible to establish consistency and completeness inside formal logical systems. In other words, all consistent axiomatic formulations of number theory include propositions/assumptions that are undecidable (fundamental elements of math include the undefined point, line, plain and space which are nonetheless bases to define large fields of mathematics).^[10]
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          Ask the experts. If you know someone who is experienced in a certain field, ask them what they know. Pose questions, listen closely to their answers, and speak up if you don't understand yet, or if you disagree with them.
          

          • Remember, knowledge can come from surprising sources! Everyone is good at something. Practice intellectual humility and approach each person as if they have something new to teach you.
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          Lose the ideas of genius and talent. Being intelligent doesn't mean knowing everything; it means knowing things and being eager to learn more. Get comfortable with asking questions and being wrong. The quest for knowledge includes wrong turns and realizing that you don't know. Focus less on "What do I know?" and more on "What can I learn?"

       Part2

       Act Like a Nerd

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          Lose yourself in your passion. Nerds get the reputation for being in the clouds half the time because their minds are wandering, probing distant places or complex correlations and equations. For this reason, don't be afraid to be aloof, if that's who you are. Lose yourself in the intellectual areas that make you happy and help you feel connected to the world, even if it means you seem disconnected by the "depth" and "displacement" involved in your internalizing a singular passion.
          

          • Your passion could be anything, from cryptology to philosophy to Norse mythology to brewing. It could be anything from morphology to cardiology to numismatics or philately. Whatever it is, make it a blast!
          • Set short- and long-term goals for yourself. The sooner you set yourself some goals (perhaps in an outline of variable and constant parameters, a rubric, or a protocol), the easier it will be to achieve them. Setting absorbing goals has the benefit of being especially nerdy!
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          Don't be afraid to go beyond the ordinary. Think differently. Don't be afraid to tackle an idea or activity that isn't popular. (Realize that you may not have a great grasp of what is popular and what isn't in the first place. No matter!)
          

          • If you found that lining your car antenna with aluminum foil gives you better reception on the AM stations in your car, then go for it. A nerd does not care how his car looks if the radio station is playing properly.
          • If you decide that coding all night and eating grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches makes your heart squeal and your tummy hum, then go for it. A nerd does not care whether his lack of sleep and confounding diet make him an object of mystery.
          • If you propose to test all your friends for an antibody not yet known to science, then go for it. A nerd does not care whether the world doubts her methods and challenges her findings.
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          Be polite. Say "please," "thank you," and "excuse me." Don't hesitate to apologize if you've hurt someone's feelings or done something wrong. Treat everyone with courtesy, whether they are a fellow nerd, a valley girl, or a person with an intellectual disability.
          

          • Sometimes, correcting others hurts more than it helps. If a person is sensitive or in a bad mood, or if the situation isn't good, let it slide. If you know that a person prefers to be corrected, discreetly correct them and don't make it a big deal.
          • Support fellow nerds. Be there for nerds who get bullied, and build up budding nerds instead of tearing them down for not knowing as much as you do.
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          Always be learning. A nerd is on a constant quest for knowledge. A nerd doesn't always care whether the information they receive has any utility. The mere fact that it's simple, profound, or counter-intuitive is enough to make it cool.
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          Use the right words. Nerds are usually pretty good with words because they care about getting things right. It doesn't hurt that they may read more in a month than the average American reads in a year.^[11] Regardless, the misconception out there is that nerds use big words. Wrong. Nerds use the right word given the context. Sometimes, the right word happens to be a big one. Extremely smart nerds have the ability to use incredibly basic words to explain incredibly complex subject matter.
          

          • Make the dictionary and thesaurus your friend. Whenever you come across a word you don't know, consult the dictionary. Whenever you believe you could be using a better word given the circumstances, consult a thesaurus.
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          Read voraciously. Read everything in your area(s) of interests that you can get your hands on, including reference books and encyclopedias. Read and watch the news enough everyday to be informed about what's going on beyond your community.
          

          • Study several related languages. Try to pick up a language just for kicks; or maybe because a subject your learning about has original sources in the native tongue. Experiment with web-based translation machines.
            
            • Extra cred goes to nerds who study a "dead" or fictional language, such as Cuman, Eyak, and Karankawa, or Elvish, Dothraki, or Klingon.^[12][13] Dead or fictional languages are exquisitely nerdy.
          • Keep your bookshelf/ebooks stocked. Prioritize non-fiction over fiction, although use and abuse fiction all you like if that's the only thing you plan on reading.
          • Note that informative reading doesn’t have to mean slogging through a dry, unbearable textbook. For an entertaining and informative read, try the funny physics classic Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman, any of Brian Greene’s very popular and accessible science bestsellers, or well-researched historical fiction like I, Claudius(whose unlikely hero survives a particularly brutal period in the Roman Empire) or the hilarious Flashman novels (whose anti-hero is a lecherous scoundrel of the colonial British empire).
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          Pay attention in school. Try to get a seat where you can clearly hear, see the teacher and chalkboard, and pay attention. A good goal to set for yourself is to try getting mostly As in everything you do at school, including homework. Take notes, study for that test, and focus. Most of all, come to school ready to learn and try not to worry about the social scene too much if it's uninteresting or uncomfortable. Note, however, that just because you're a nerd doesn't mean you have to care about school. Many nerds (Bill Gates included) either flunked out of or were close to flunking out of school.
          

          • Try some extra-curricular activities, such as robotics or math club, chess, or drama. Try to balance your extra-curriculars so that they don't bring your grades down.
          • Ask a lot of questions in class. There is no such thing as a stupid question, remember? The only stupid question is the question you didn't ask.
          • Do research above and beyond what is taught in class. YouTube channels such as Khan Academy, Crash Course, Vsauce, Numberphile, CGP Grey to name a few, offer the opportunity to get ahead at the convenience and enjoyment of your computer. This saves the hassle of hiring a tutor.
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          Channel any anger or disappointment you may have into your passions. Nerds deal with their anger and heartbreak in a productive way: they practice music, make art, or amend changes to their debate presentation before they lash out at other people. Don't cut yourself down. What other people say about you isn't necessarily who you are. Just don't pay attention to what they say about the way you are.
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          Seek good, wholesome fun. Nerds don't need to rely upon excitement and danger in order to have fun. They enjoy more wholesome fun, such as LAN parties, watching Star Wars, or building and launching a rocket. These activities can be enjoyed alone (independence is a fine thing) or with friends (the more the merrier!).
          

          • Note: playing games like Magic the Gathering or D&D, dressing up as your favorite characters for movie premieres, and LARPing is more geeky than nerdy, but that doesn't mean that you have to stay away from them.
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           Find friends with similar interests. They could be other nerds, but they don't have to be. While geeks often navigate between social groups, nerds are more likely to associate with other nerds, because of common interests. Maybe if you're an abstract thinker, try to find a nerd who's more practical or technical, and vice versa.^[14] Having a friend, or a set of friends, who complement you is as much as anyone could ask for.
           

           • If you don’t know any nerds who are interested in what you do, find a community online or try to get your own friends interested in aspects of nerdiness. The web is increasingly becoming an important social community for nerds, mainly because of its focus on free expression and its utility as platform for technology.
           • If you're prone to being picked on or beat up, think about making a strategic friendship with someone (preferably not a nerd) who might stick up for you in a pinch. Maybe he gets help on his homework, and you get muscle when you need it. Being a nerd doesn't mean you can't also be diplomatic.
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           Focus on the positive. You're a nerd and you know it. You're also happy and optimistic. That's because your life is pretty good. You like who you are, even if it doesn't seem like very many other people do. (That's okay, they simply don't understand you.) The friends that you do have are good people who make you feel like to be alive. Life is pretty good.
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           Don’t worry too much about your wardrobe. The most important part of looking like a nerd is not caring what you look like. Nerds tend to like clothing that is efficient and comfortable. So if it just so happens that the most worn item in your wardrobe is a pair of sweatpants with 17 pockets, so be it. Embrace it!
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           Consider practicality. Pull long hair back out of your face. Wear comfortable clothes that don't itch and are good for walking, sitting, and running. A nerd prizes comfort over appearance, and never wears clothes that feel unpleasant.
           

           • Only wear high heels if you can walk and run confidently in them. If you want to be taller, stick with kitten heels or platform shoes; a significant heel can cause foot damage and is definitely not practical.
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           Use your shirts to make nerd references or jokes. Video game characters and superheroes, like Megaman, Mario, Superman or Sonic, are de rigueur. Math jokes, or obscure topics (binary code, Latin, etc.) work great, too, as do movie references.
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           Rock the glasses if you need them. Hipsters have taken the lenses from the lows of the '90s to the rich, abundant, and suddenly cool plateaus of the twenty-teens. No matter. If you're a nerd and you can't see a baseball from a barnyard at two feet, wear your glasses. Your nerd quotient will increase drastically.
           

           • Because nerds aren't into fashion statements, wearing fake glasses isn't really a nerd thing. (Geeks and hipsters sometimes do this.)
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           Sport some ill-fitting clothes (if desired). Nerds are known in the fashion world for wearing clothes that do not flatter their body type and are horribly anachronistic, probably because their clothes are hand-me-downs. So if you're going for the nerd look, choose your wardrobe by lottery instead of carefully fitting the outfit together.
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           Dress preppy. Some nerds, but not all, have the preppy look on lock-down. Chinos, a button-down (tucked-in, of course), a vest, and loafers, with a hint of messiness to tie it all together. Especially when worn during informal occasions, this style will get you pegged for a nerd in no time.