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Why nerds are unpopular
- Thread starter Balog
- Start date
my school was delineated and cliqued, but oddly enough what I noticed was if you weren't a jock, prep, or band guy, you were generally delineated by race/ethnicity - not that there was any heirarchy involved, but most of the "ethnic minorities" would actually try to organize conflict against each other - particualarly those of middle eastern dissent. Of course there were always exceptions, and I prefer to think that those groups that really cared about the ethnic groups of others were a minority in their ethnic group and happened to be the loudest, but it seemed as if some (note SOME, I can't speak for the entirety of an ethnic group and would much rather not) people of "x" ethnic group would try to start fights (or at least seem that way) with members of "y" or "z" ethnic group.
The people I hung out with were deemed "the dangerous people" aka: those who seemed like they would shoot up the school, and yet oddly enough we were the only "clique" that DIDN'T do anything legally or morally questionable. The thing I'm still completely confused about was when I broke my nose, I had a cast on it for a week, and prettymuch everybody that saw seemed to know my name and said something along the lines of "yo dawg, if somebody tries to start something with you I'll back you up", I was actually scared to realize that somehow I inadvertently stumbled upon popularity.
The people I hung out with were deemed "the dangerous people" aka: those who seemed like they would shoot up the school, and yet oddly enough we were the only "clique" that DIDN'T do anything legally or morally questionable. The thing I'm still completely confused about was when I broke my nose, I had a cast on it for a week, and prettymuch everybody that saw seemed to know my name and said something along the lines of "yo dawg, if somebody tries to start something with you I'll back you up", I was actually scared to realize that somehow I inadvertently stumbled upon popularity.
In my teenage years of schooling, my main group of friends changed when I missed a year of school due to an injury. I was lucky that it happened in the early years of high school and I was excelling enough that I didn't need to be held back.
Before the injury, I was still doing well in my studies, but because I played a lot of sports, my closest friends were all the "jock" types, despite aesthetically fitting more into the "rocker" mould, because I played sports with these guys, I was close with them all, and seen as popular.
After the injury, I'm no longer able to do any contact sports, so a lot more of my extra-curricular time was spent in different activities with a different social circle, a lot of these guys were nerdy, it didn't bother me, I was enjoying myself. I maintained friendships with the popular kids too.
When a new kid joined the school, he was a bit of a tool, asked one of my "popular" friends what he was talking to a nerd for...he responded with, "what, you mean daywalker?" Apparently I was known as the nerd who walked among the normal people. I found the whole thing amusing.
Before the injury, I was still doing well in my studies, but because I played a lot of sports, my closest friends were all the "jock" types, despite aesthetically fitting more into the "rocker" mould, because I played sports with these guys, I was close with them all, and seen as popular.
After the injury, I'm no longer able to do any contact sports, so a lot more of my extra-curricular time was spent in different activities with a different social circle, a lot of these guys were nerdy, it didn't bother me, I was enjoying myself. I maintained friendships with the popular kids too.
When a new kid joined the school, he was a bit of a tool, asked one of my "popular" friends what he was talking to a nerd for...he responded with, "what, you mean daywalker?" Apparently I was known as the nerd who walked among the normal people. I found the whole thing amusing.
In my highschool experience (mid 90s), there most certainly were "popular kids," nice clothes, cool cars, exclusive clique, bad attitudes, average intellect, sports, etc. HOWEVER, they were only "popular" because they tried so hard to be well known, and their popularity had very little to do with being liked. Most of the kids didn't want anything to do with the popular crowd. It was almost like the student body at large felt that the "popular kids" were doing us a favor by ostracizing themselves.
Of course I was never a nerd, I was too self-confident and charismatic and would probably fit more into the "geek" category based on the chart posted above.
Also, my school had a tradition of upper-classmen geeks taking on the role of protector of under-classmen nerds. We sort of groomed the nerds on how to become the geeks... and anyone who bullied or picked on the weaker kids was sure to get the same treatment 10 fold from that group of upper-classmen who got protected when they were under-classmen. Give a couple of jocks a few swirlies and shove them in a few lockers and their attitudes change pretty quickly when they start fearing for their own social status.
Of course I was never a nerd, I was too self-confident and charismatic and would probably fit more into the "geek" category based on the chart posted above.
Also, my school had a tradition of upper-classmen geeks taking on the role of protector of under-classmen nerds. We sort of groomed the nerds on how to become the geeks... and anyone who bullied or picked on the weaker kids was sure to get the same treatment 10 fold from that group of upper-classmen who got protected when they were under-classmen. Give a couple of jocks a few swirlies and shove them in a few lockers and their attitudes change pretty quickly when they start fearing for their own social status.
In my high school you still have all the cliques and all of the separation, but not so much bullying. I became friends with the quarterback in my math class, and would literally get people asking him why I was with him while I was right next to him (yes, really as funny as you imagine, hushed voices to each other type of thing)! I enjoyed it immensely, so I guess outlook plays a big role.
Back when I was in high school, the popular kids, while not all rocket scientists, were the ones who did academically well and went to college. The class valedictorian was part of the "popular" crowd.
By the time I graduated, I pretty much liked most of everyone in my graduating class. We really didn't have the social divisions that we did back in 9th grade. I actually found myself hanging with more of the popular crowd (that included people from different years) during the second half of my senior year. Until then, I had been pretty invisible, but I played bass and guitar in the pit orchestra of a school production of Grease, as well as the recently created school jazz band, so I finally found my in after 6 years of jr. and sr. high. *lol*
Then I graduated and started learning about all of the girls from high school who had a crush on me. *lol* If only I had known when I was there.
For the most part, I still hated high school, especially 7th and 9th grade.
By the time I graduated, I pretty much liked most of everyone in my graduating class. We really didn't have the social divisions that we did back in 9th grade. I actually found myself hanging with more of the popular crowd (that included people from different years) during the second half of my senior year. Until then, I had been pretty invisible, but I played bass and guitar in the pit orchestra of a school production of Grease, as well as the recently created school jazz band, so I finally found my in after 6 years of jr. and sr. high. *lol*
Then I graduated and started learning about all of the girls from high school who had a crush on me. *lol* If only I had known when I was there.
For the most part, I still hated high school, especially 7th and 9th grade.
A long time ago, I read something that turned out to be true. "Popular" is a word that you will seldom use after high school.
yup, and when you do use it it's either in regards to an inanimate object... or high school.
Kuriositas: A Short Illustrated History of the Nerd <-- cool article that just hit yesterday, coincidentally.
Freshman year, I was a nerd, who for some reason or other all the jocks in my class got behind. In PE I wouldnt be last picked (close, though) but i was like a step above the other nerds. By my junior year I was hanging mostly with the other "band guys" and was able to freely mingle amongst any other clique. The jocks were cool with me, I had hot cheerleader friends in some classes, nerd friends in others. A lot of the band guys (not the school band, but "Im in a band" guys) were nerds too. During my sophmore year it seemed that the whole school knew about my band, but we never had a full lineup and never played a show, but I go "Oh, youre in _____ arent you?" all the time. Halfway through my junior year I got the hots for some chick, and I ended up becoming friends and hanging out with her hot friends. A lot of people at school thought we were dating, but it never got that far. Then one day during my senior year I find out this other hot nerdy chick has a thing for me "because I remind her of Steve Buscemi" (I did have a bit of a Mr. Pink thing going on) and I hooked up with her in the computer lab when the rest of the class went back to the classroom. Thinking back on all this now, damn, I was KING OF NERDS!
I just graduated high school and this was close to my situation. We still had generalities for cliques but with the exception of one we all were able to chill and get together. My closest clique definition was a jock but I was clearly more than that with playing lots of music, being in some AP classes, peer tutoring, and even bing involved with two musicals. For the most part we all got along and had fun.
