To anyone who has spent some one-on-one time with a nerd late at night, it’s fairly obvious: nerds make better romantic partners. Sceptics, stand back—the evidence is in their favour. Nerds (not to be confused with geeks) are renowned for their love of obscure things, often highly technical in nature. They can be obsessive, becoming frustrated over little details, trying to get everything right. But what does that mean for you, potential romantic partner?
Due to social stigma, nerds tend to be avoided at parties. They’re probably not going to approach anyone, as they fear many potential suitors are out of their league. Party goers probably think the nerdy individual in the corner is boring and doesn’t get out much. That’s likely true. Interactive games such as World of Warcraft, Eve, or Warhammer take up a lot of effort, leaving little time for face-to-face interaction. However, when nerds do go out, they operate in overtime, analysing everything happening around them and wondering how to improve their situation. Once you approach a nerd and strike up a conversation, a warm, friendly individual tends to come out.
The popular movie Revenge of the Nerds (1984) possibly put it best when Betty Childs asked Lewis, “Are all nerds as good as you?” Lewis assured her they are, stating, “‘Cause all jocks ever think about is sports, all we ever think of is sex.” It’s blunt, but not far from the truth. From one encounter to the next, nerds are constantly looking for ways to improve, to overcome the obstacles encountered last time. This is true in games and in life. Nerds don’t do things passively. They are active, caring participants who want everyone to take as much out of an encounter as possible. Far from off-putting, their obsessive nature is what makes them go above and beyond.
Nerds are well-attuned to turning their social ineptitude into an advantage, when given a challenge and clear reward. In Nerds: How Dorks, Dweebs, Techies, and Trekkies can save America and Why They Might Be Our Last Hope, David Anderegg mentions a TV show in which participants were challenged to collect phone numbers from random girls in a park. Most participants tried to charm girls into revealing their phone numbers, but the token nerd ran around the ladies stating bluntly that he was in a contest to get their numbers. The nerd won. Anderegg also posits that nerds are more appreciative and inventive, but knocks them a bit for being malleable and unable to compare partners against predecessors (due to a lack thereof).
I’ll conclude with some words of advice to anyone eyeing a nerdy dating candidate. A happy, fun-loving individual usually resides under the nerdy exterior. It’s just a matter of breaking through that tough outer shell and being willing to have the time of your life. Go for it. Break the ice. Evidence says you won’t regret it.
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