Embrace Your Inner Nerd
If you know me you know I’m not someone who pretends to have a lot of advice or wisdom to dispense, but in my travels I’ve cultivated one nugget of pseudo-wisdom: one surefire way to help yourself “make it” in the “real world” is something I like to call embracing your inner nerd. And no, I don’t mean buying yourself a pair of coke bottle glasses or quoting obscure books at your friends (trust me, it’s not charming). I’m talking about immersing yourself in something(s) you love that most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about, making yourself knowledgeable, and letting your enjoyment of those things impact your life.
Nerds care about what matters and value people for who they are. It’s a major misconception that you have to be intelligent to be a nerd. Not so. I would probably fail an 8th grade science test, yet I’m as sincere a nerd as they come. Because that’s what counts with nerds—sincerity. It doesn’t matter if we’re interested in the same things; if I can see you’re genuine in what you care about and it’s close to your heart, I respect that. I have a friend who’s obsessed with all things Disney, another who unabashedly loves Sailor Moon, and even a friend who loses her mind over shows like Pretty Little Liars (hint: she runs this blog), and even though those things aren’t my particular cup of tea, those people are important to me because I value people who really, truly care about things. If any of these people, hearing me mock something they love (and despite my nerd-solidarity I tend to do this), said “No, you’re right, it’s dumb,” I would instantly lose some respect for them. I find that generally, people who can’t be sincere about something as simple as their interests will rarely be sincere in their relationships.
