Jock? Nerd? Clarify.

I use the term Nerd and Geek pretty interchangeably (calm down Internet) and I am pretty sure that we all are familiar with what a Jock is… But for the sake of coherent blogging I will define them in the context of my ongoing ramblings.

What is a Nerd/Geek?

To me, being a geek/nerd is more about the depth of love you have for a subject/topic/genre, and how intellectually you understand it, than the subject itself.  Essentially it is about being engrossed and loving something so much that you want to be around other people who share that passion so that you can enjoy it together.  Now of course it is generally assumed that the subject being “geeked” on is something along the line of video games, comics, etc… (and generally speaking that is the assumption I make as well) but it could be anything really, from cars to art to music.  A very strong argument could be made that one of the areas Jocks have been mainstream crossing over into Geek territories is in the realm of Fantasy sports.  Let’s face it, Fantasy Football is basically Dungeons & Dragons (just don’t tell them *wink*).

What is a Jock?

Surprisingly I find this harder to define.  Alot of people would define a Jock as someone of above average fitness who regularly engages in one, if not more, sports.  I agree with that with one minor exception; when I speak of Jocks, here in this Blog, I am speaking of someone who engages in regular physical activities not limited to playing an organized sport.  Jocks tend to be more about doing, than understanding a subject.  Now I realize that this is a stereotypical view and could be viewed as being slightly perjorative but I simply am trying to point out in the broadest strokes possible what the diference is between the two.

So are Jocks and Nerds Oil and Water?

I like to think we are more like peanut butter and chocolate, but I understand the natural inclination to feel as if they are the anti-thesis of each other.  It’s interesting, a friend of mine (who I would consider a bit of a Jerd in his own right) started reading this blog and he immediately said he had a negative emotional response to the “J” part of the name “Jerd” due to years of being bullied as a kid for being a geek. It’s a stereotype war that has been drilled into our collective cultural psyche; and it isnt going to magically disappear anytime soon. I plan on delving into this clash of stereotype at a future date but for now let me say that  while I know I am in no way unique I am living proof that the two sides of Dr. Banner can peacefully coexist (and you don’t even need to wear purple pants, unless of course yo are feeling fancy.)

Don’t pigeon hole yourself; don’t waste your time with classifications or even worse labeling yourself.  Unless of course you are labeling yourself a member of the Jerd Herd.  That is pretty much wholly encouraged!