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Geeks Rule, Others Drool

The term “geek” has always been in the bad word category. It has always been used by the people, like that popular crowd in high school or that awful, nasty boss you once had, who would like to think that they are somehow better than the geeks they are referring. But as film critic David Denby argues in his essay High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies, these people have overlooked the “one unquestionable social truth: geeks rule”. Those people might be better dressed, might have the latest gadgetry, might be higher up in the corporate or social ladder, but they are by no means smarter than the geeks. And in our society, brain power has always been highly valued, more so than wealth, power, or prominence.

All the negativity around the term geek seems to come down to one simple thing - that the people who use the word to mock others subconsciously know they will always be subservient to these geeks, that they will never be able to equal the geeks’ achievements. After all, the laws and theories that hold up our world, the breakthrough technology that have revolutionized our society have all come from people who most definitely would be classified as geeks. Albert Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity, the famous formula E=mc2, and did so much for science that “Einstein” has become an allusion for anyone really smart. Bill Gates founded the computer company that would revolutionize the computer industry. Archimedes is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians ever, with numerous inventions and discoveries under his belt. Does being a geek somehow lessen their achievements? Or does it just raise them even higher on the great minds pedestal?

Geeks need to embrace the teasing and the mockery; embrace the identity of geek hood, with the knowledge that one day they will be far superior to the people who mocked their abilities and interests. The word geek has become synonymous with words like genius and intellect. Awards like the Nobel and Pulitzer recognize geniuses in their field; Intellects receive a spot in the textbooks and records. Have you ever heard of the Nobel Prize for Mediocrity? Or the Guinness Worlds Record for the Most Average Person? Of course not. Our society honors the geeks, the smart people, the brainiacs, and not the millions who can only dream about having an off the charts IQ.

So go ahead, when the next person calls you a geek, laugh in their face and say, “Yes I am a geek, I am proud to be a geek, and when you are thirty years old and selling insurance, I am going to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company”. Remind them that their dominance will not last and that one day you will be laughing at them as they struggle to start up their ancient pickup while you zoom by in your spanking new Corvette. Jocks and quarterbacks beware; the geeks are coming to take over your world.