A geek, like myself, is defined by Wikipedia as “a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, etc.” I feel that this is the best definition for geeks that’s no longer than thirty words.
A nerd is the exact same definition as geek, but a nerd lacks social grace. A nerd does not socialize well with others who are not nerds. I don’t consider nerd to be a derogatory word, however I am not one. Not to cause any more confusion, but a nerd should not be confused with a dweeb. A dweeb is the mega-nerd. They are a unicorn to geeks and nerds alike. A dweeb would be someone who is a nerd, but has no social life what so ever. Here is a good example of a dweeb. Nerds can at least socialize with other nerds. If you’re thinking, “I’m a nerd and I can socialize with non-nerds!” then you are not a nerd, you are a geek.
My girlfriend (now ex [6/8/11]) frequently calls me a nerd; this sometimes frustrates me because I am not a nerd, I am a geek. I will try my best to describe my social life. I typically have a real, intellectual conversation with more than one person a day, excluding my girlfriend because I do that with her everyday. I enjoy going to parties on the weekends. I am not the life of the party every time, but have been on occasion. I like to leave my room and get some fresh air with friends or myself for at least six days a week. I like to do physical activities such as throw the football around or go sailing. And lastly I meet up in real life with friends I’ve made over xbox live. I believe all of this equates to me having social grace. So when my girlfriend calls me a nerd, I am not offended, it just isn’t correct. I think I might actually get offended if someone called me a dweeb though.
Everyone has different definitions for geek and nerd, but I feel as if I am summing up what the greater community of geeks think. So, to sum things up, a geek is any smart person with an obsessive interest, a nerd is the same but lacks social grace, and a dweeb is a fabled mega-nerd. If there are any questions or comments, the comment box is below. Also here is an illustration of 56 different kinds of geeks.
