‘I’m warning you, I’m such a geek’
This week, I want to talk about this sentence. It was said to me a few months ago and has been said to me on a number of occasions in one form or another over the last couple of years.
The first time was in a self-deprecating, slightly endearing manner and was said to almost imply that it would be understandable if I found our conversation dull or to preempt any disinterest that was to follow. Then there was the person who stated that they are a geek as a proud declaration of an undeniable fact that they hold no shame in – #nerdalert. The most recent time, it was said as an apology, to excuse a long discussion on the minute details of dentistry.
Regardless of how it is said, I have always found statements like this confusing. In my eyes, geekiness or being a nerd is akin to being passionate and hearing someone discuss their passion, whether you are knowledgeable or interested in the content, is the most interesting conversation you will ever have. They light up when discussing the topic, and that enthusiasm-driven rant is to me, the most attractive thing and is precisely why humans are so interesting. Whether their interest is a broad genre or the tiniest niche that you didn’t even know existed, it is brilliant to see someone so captivated by something that they forget about time and the social convention of taking turns to speak. In fact, I almost find it more fascinating when I know nothing about it!
My belief, and what my response tends to be to these comments, is that everyone is a nerd about something. My passion happens to be both my profession and my field of study, and unfortunately for my friends, this means they get tiresome rants about the wonders of NLP and the latest psychological phenomenon I was reading about. I think it’s important though, as that is what gives me energy and brings life to many conversations. One of the most interesting things you can find out about someone, is not only what their passion is but why is it their passion. In realising this, I have discovered the magnitude of how much you can learn from any individual is immeasurable.
The term geek and nerd often get their negative connotations from childhood days, where it was the greatest insult to be yelled across the playground. With age though, I believe this is actually one of the most beautiful compliments as it shows you do have that childlike curiosity and spirit and energy. Without it, you would be apathetic to the world and THAT will lead to a truly boring conversation! So talk to me about war of the worlds or pokemon or any other ‘geeky’ topic, I’m all ears.
Just some random thoughts for the week, have a great weekend everyone!