Geeks & Freaks...er...Nerds

If you've read the blog description you'll know that I am a nerd. Good for you. I want to be clear on that title though, I'm a nerd not a geek.  Don't get me wrong, a majority of my friends are geeks.  Most of them are good people too.  But what IS the actual difference between the two.  I like to spout off my belief that the biggest difference is the individual level of social interaction or lack thereof, but lets see what my favorite nonfiction book says. Ms. Dictionary if you please.  Nerd: "an intelligent (obviously) but single minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit." and Geek: "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts such as biting off the head of..." uhhh okay then?... Wrong definition lets try again: "a peculiar or otherwise dis-likable person, especially one who is perceived as overly intellectual"  That sounds better.  I would also like to note that most of the time geeks are associated with technology.  Now that said you might think that by those definitions I fit more into the geek category.  And you'd be wrong.  Mostly because of a key word in the nerd definition; nonsocial.  Blogging is, for the most part, the extent of my social interaction outside the girlfriend.  I can slip into a crowd and start a conversation to avoid awkwardness, but I'd rather read, watch a movie...or take courses on Lynda.com. (great place by the way).  People are messy.  They argue, and in the event they're insecure about their intelligence,(among other characteristics and flaws), they attack and belittle others.  Bleak and pessimistic perhaps, but I've found it to be prevalent in humans.  I'm not saying I'm perfect.  Far from it actually, I'm just as bad when I feel threatened or insecure.  Hence why I prefer the pages of a book to hurtful vocal cords.  I feel the beginning of senseless rambling but I need to finish this entry (it's been waiting for publication for about a week).  So let's finish like this- if you prefer a campaign mode of a video game over online/multi-player, you're probably a nerd.  If you're the sort to go to conventions, stand in lines the night of a video game release, or you frequent trading card game competitions or D&D games, you are likely of the Geek variety.  By no means am I the official authority on this, but I feel that this provides we the intellectually stimulated and inclined with a definite way to determine what we are.  In the end it is ultimately up to the individual to determine what their title is and that decision should be respected.  After all, maybe that carnival performer finds the title "Geek" offensive.