Unique Romance between Geeks and Society
People who are now referred to as “geeks” have had a fascinating history of social acceptance and discrimination in society.
The term “geek” was first used to describe a carnival performer who made animal noises or performed other acts of physical comedy but some say it was first used by engine-room workers in the 1920s and 1930s to describe someone who was not only socially awkward but also generally disliked by their peers. It wasn’t until the 1970s that we see the word being used to describe someone who is knowledgeable about a specific subject or field and had high intellectual skills.
Geek culture has evolved tremendously over time. From being looked down upon as social misfits, geeks have become a powerful force in today’s society.
Geeks have always been misunderstood in society. They are often bullied in school and other institutions, but their contribution to society is often overlooked.
Their unique characteristics usually make it difficult for them to fit into a society that does not seem interested in including them. The word “geek” has been used as a pejorative term and as a way to insult those who show signs of being different from the mainstream. This is why we should appreciate geeks and their contributions to society because they are what we need to make the world a better place.
How many of you geeks have heard your parents saying that “why are you always locked in your room? why are you so different from others? why you don’t go outside and play? why can’t you act normal? how do you, every time, find a way to embarrass us?”
well, like Will Smith once said, Parents just don’t understand 🙂
But guess what? the era of romance started, with a loving relationship. Geeks started being appreciated for their intelligence and ability to solve problems that other people couldn’t. Society needed them. Geeks became cool! What do you get when society’s most intelligent and capable members become trendsetters? The geeks who really impacted society, in fact, the whole world
Here are a few names, Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest scientific minds, George Lucas, creator of The Star Wars saga, Stan Lee, The Marvel Creator and Geek legend, and last but not the least, Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft, and the list doesn’t end here, I can go and go forever……
Now, who doesn’t want to be a Geek? There it starts, A Unique Romance between Geeks and Society
A young boy was dropped off by his dad at the gate of the school. He was wearing loose shorts with a SpiderMan T-shirt. As he stepped out of the car, his foot went into the puddle splashing his new Nike sneakers with mud and water. His father yelled, watch your step kiddo! He didn’t say a word, just stepped out of the car looking at the school building. This was his first day at the new school. His vision was not very clear, he took off his glasses and cleaned them a bit with the back of his t-shirt
He was having mixed feelings, happy? maybe it would be different from the previous school. Scared? what if not?
He started stepping forward towards the huge school building where all the cool kids were chattering. It was quite windy but no harm to his jelled side combed hair. As he stepped into the school building he felt all eyes on him. A little shiver went through him but he kept walking looking for a computer lab where he wanted to test his game design project from the previous school. He really worked hard on it but was not able to present it since his family had to move to another city. Now he was a bit excited to show it to his new teacher and maybe, new friends?
Suddenly, he heard a phone ring in his ears, and he woke up. A cup of freshly brewed black coffee getting cold on his huge office table. He realized, he fell asleep in his office chair, after a hard and long day of work. After all, it’s not easy being a CEO of a game development company. A lot of meetings throughout the day, discussions with your team, and traveling. Actually, he just got back in the morning from California, after having a webinar with a few of the startup owners in Silicon Valley
Life is not fair, and it’s not easy for anyone. But, being a geek is a privilege. The kind of dedicated focus and enthusiasm needed to be successful, it’s already there.
I spent my childhood playing with action figures, staging huge wars between two civilizations. I used to love Atari, car racing with Enduro, or my favorite one, The Asteroids. My gaming level hiked a bit when Commodore 64 came in, it was totally a new arena.
The first song that I was hooked with was Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine – The Robots, you must check it out, it’s pretty old, I guess it came out somewhere in the ’70s, but trust me it was way ahead of its time.
Well, enough about myself, I don’t intend to bore you with my life stories, but please do comment if you have had similar experiences.
The geek community has been a growing culture that is gradually changing the face of society. More people are identifying as geeks and it’s not just about being knowledgeable on tech or science. It’s also about giving back to your communities, volunteering, following up with family members more often, and having an open mind for new things.
I think that being a geek is much more human than anyone else. We don’t like politics, wars, or violence. We live in our own world of comics, games, technology, and innovation. We love to explore new things and add value to the world we live in.
It’s all about life, and finding joy in small things, maybe having a late night coffee at a game of chess with a likeminded friend, solving a Rubik’s cube, playing a video game, I guess you realize the joy of getting your hands on a highly anticipated and long-awaited video game, that you have been reading about from months in gaming magazines and over the internet, or maybe watching a Sci-Fi or killer flick in your cozy room filled with posters of Marvel and DC superheroes.
So, what’s YOUR way to be geeky? Also, read our article “Extraordinary happens when geeks get together” and learn more about Geeky Crowd
Cheers!
