The Nerd, the Geek, and the Dork

I've gotten into a lot of discussions lately about what the difference is between a nerd, a geek and a dork. To be completely honest, I really don't know. I usually refer to myself as a nerd. I don't really take offense to being called a geek; however, "geek" doesn't feel as accurate a description to me. I'm not a huge fan of "dork," but I take it when people call me that.

Most people seem to think that those three terms are interchangeable, but they really aren't. To me, "dork" embodies those individuals who are simply socially awkward. Beyond that they don't really have the obsessions that nerds and geeks seem to have. They're just awkward. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm incredibly awkward myself.

Here's an example of a character I would consider a dork:

 Zuko (the guy in red) from "Avatar the Last Airbender" would be considered a dork because he's incredible awkward. His awkwardness is extremely adorable (I often call him "adorkable," which according to TV Tropes is a type of character prevalent throughout the nerdy culture). As I said before, while dorks are extremely awkward, that doesn't mean being a dork is a bad thing. In fact, Zuko is in my top three favorite characters of that show. :)

Now, the difference between "nerd" and "geek" is tricky. Both of these have the social-awkwardness balanced by the obsessions. You might be asking why I think fixations balance out social-awkward behaviors. Well, one problem of the socially-awkward is the lack of conversation. You know that awkward silence that stems between two individuals upon first meeting. Yeah, I know that silence really well. Anyway, an enthusiasm for a specific topic can lead to a discussion which gets rid of that silence and with it, the awkwardness. Yay!

My opinion on where the two diverge comes from the extent of the obsession. Geeks live their obsession in spurts. They have marathons of Star Wars every so often, or they reread The Lord of the Rings once every year.  Nerds live their obsession on a day-to-day basis. Everything can be related to something in the show, movie, comic, book, etc. that they love. They always find opportunities to discuss their obsession. Truly, the amount of time an individual lives in their obsessions is what I think is the biggest difference between a nerd and a geek.

Here's my example of a nerd and a geek.

Nerd

Ted from "How I Met Your Mother" is a nerd because he lives the nerdiness daily. The gang spends a whole episode interrupting him with fart noises every time he references something nerdy. He makes up some pretty dorky jokes. He's a nerd for all intents and purposes.

Geek

Marshall is a geek. He's borderline nerd honestly, but I would still classify him as a geek. He has the Star Wars obsession just like Ted; however, he doesn't seem to live the nerdy life as fully as Ted does. The gang never makes fun of him for being too nerdy like they make fun of Ted. Marshall's pretty close to being a nerd but he falls a little short.

There is definitely a lot more to this nerd, geek, dork conversation than I've discussed here. I'm sure there are several arguments for what makes a nerd, or the requirements for being a geek, or even what encompasses a dork. They all have something to contribute to the definition of these terms; however, I'm not sure we'll ever have a completely accurate definition of any of them.

What do you think it means to be a nerd, a geek, or a dork?

Happy readings!

PS Images from Google.