Why Nerds are Unpopular

[Prospero]

Link: http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html

Why? Once again, anyone currently in school might think this a strange question to ask. How could things be any other way? But they could be. Adults don't normally persecute nerds. Why do teenage kids do it?

Partly it's because teenagers are still half children, and many children are just intrinsically cruel. Some torture nerds for the same reason they pull the legs off spiders. Before you develop a conscience, torture is amusing.

What this guy is saying is quite interesting and is true.. but the reasons are not fully correct. I believe it's a remnant survival tactic. An instinct. Think basically--really basic. You are born with two brothers. Your two brothers become smarter, therefore, will be able to produce better offspring that will rival yours. Therefore.. you eliminate your brothers in order to produce the dominant offspring.

Of course, this is a really, really extreme example. But you understand what I'm getting at. He's not incorrect in his analysis, but it seems as though he's being a little bias. You have to give these "popular children" some credit here. Not all of them are inherently evil. It's more of an instinct.

Because they're at the bottom of the scale, nerds are a safe target for the entire school. If I remember correctly, the most popular kids don't persecute nerds; they don't need to stoop to such things. Most of the persecution comes from kids lower down, the nervous middle classes.

The trouble is, there are a lot of them. I suspect the distribution of popularity is not a pyramid, but tapers at the bottom like a pear. The least popular group is quite small. (I believe we were the only D table in our cafeteria map.) So there are more people who want to pick on nerds than there are nerds.

But I found this observation really, really sharp.

[Night_Ninja]

"Kids are vicious animals, the'll jump on any fucking bandwagon they see and rip the shit out of other kids"

[TGZ]

Also during childhood kid's only take offense to the fact someone is better than them, whereas in adulthood people now depend on those superiors to do things that they can't/don't want to do.

Kind of sucks both ways.

[Mo0]

The way I see it, teenagers tend to look at anyone that's better off than them with at least a slight bit of disdain. They tend to see what they lack in that person, and they don't like that person for it.

...

That's my view, anyway.

[Lord Hawking]

Well, the example of having smarter brothers isn't exactly the best. Kin selection provides for alliances between close family members, therefore you wouldn't bother your brothers, but defend them from others' aggression. But amongst the unrelated, the need to establish dominance for social and mating purposes is a common thing (from my experience in my primate sociology class).

[Prospero]

Ageed.

[Eihger]

I'm just against popular culture, People trying to be black( I got nothing against black people) They use the stupidity and I use my mind. I make shure my bones can't break, they are so hard its like trying to break a steel rod.

[decker]

you saw this on slashdot, didnt you?

DIDN'T YOU?!

have you people no mercy? im sure they are already being strained enough by the people on slashdot, and now, you with no mercy, are linking to it from here?

ohh... the inhumanity.

[FreakForFinalFantasy]

"There is nothing more cruel (more......cruel....more cruel) than that of a child's mind."

[Prospero]

Take a bacon pill and relax, buddy.

And no, I didn't get it from Slashdot. One of my friends showed it to me.

[mikehendo]

heh..
The problem of why nerds are unpopular is a life question rather than just being one of like in highschool. Granted as individuals become adults they learn that it is a better idea to pay attention to those that are ssmarter than they are than they did before. However that doesnt necessarily mean that the nerd archetype as become more popular, in fact some people may resent the nerd and attempt to keep them down by stealing thier ideas. In the real world, just like in highschool it is the smart, popular people who get things done, granted there is a nerd in the background figuring everything out, but they rarely get the credit.
While, I myself will proudly wear the title of being a nerd/geek what have you till the day I die that will undoubtably cause me to become less popular than I could be with out that title. So, the article is right, nerds like myself and some of you undoubtably would rather increase our mental capacity than try to play in the social games that everyone else plays in. It is all a choice of whether or not we want to play the popularity games, because in the end all that they really are is games. Hopefully one day hard work and brains will pay off, but that time doesnt seem to be coming about quickly. Oh well, Embrace you inner nerd, in attempting todestroy it you will only succeed in destroyign a part of yourself

[Mav]

I'll attest to the theory that Glue put forth.

[Ota]

"Id rather be a geek then lose my self-respect"

[Eihger]

I want to stay as anti-socal to normal people as posible. Nerds I like them because there not muscle mongering idiots.

[Rincewind Rolaveric]

I think this a little too stereotyped.
It could be just my school, but I find that "nerds" are alot more diverse.
I'm a computer geek, but I'm also classified by some as a freak, or a goth even.

The biggest geeks in my school, are also the basketball team (and yes, they are good)
I would pay to see someone try and pick on them.

But maybe the geeks at my school are lucky.
Bullying of geeks comes down to 3 things.
Brains, brawn, and numbers.

Nerds have the brains. The entire high school food chain knows it.
This means that they will be more succesful in the future, and do not get any crap from the teachers.
This isn't exactly threatening, but more irratating, making them a target.

Brawn. Nerds don't have it (normally). But everyone else seems to.
What they can't get by wit, they'll get by fist.
Everyone loves the high of feeling powerful. and the tougher kids feel very very powerful over the weak nerds.

Numbers. Just like the qoute Glue posted said, there are more bullies then victims.
They're in large groups, adding to their power, both physically, and also with how psychologically intimidating a large group can be.
Nerds will also group together in numbers for survival. But there aren't as many of them.
On top of that, you can't say that all nerds will get along.
Infact very few seem to. There are normally small group of 3-6.
What target could be more appealing?

But I seriously think the groups are evolving.
I know a half trendy, half gamer.
During the day, she's little miss popular.
Drag her down to the local net cafe for a all night LAN party.
She's a machine.

We're evolving. You can't survive as only a geek, or only a jock, or only a goth, or trendy, or princess etc. etc. etc.
You've gotta mix and match.
Variety is the spice of life.