Nerdiness has evolved into something much more than the stereotypical Steve Urkel of generations past. So many different types of people self-identify with nerdiness that one must carefully subclass them in order to not lump the Trekies with the posers.
1. The Pretty Nerd
Otherwise known as the "I Sometimes Watch The Big Bang Theory Nerd," the people who identify with this type of nerdiness think that they are
a nerd because they think Leonard is funny and they understand
something Sheldon says every once and a while. This type of nerd readily identifies with their nerdiness, and probably follows their proclamation with a fit of giggles. Perhaps they've bought some thick-rimmed glasses because they think they're cute. Perhaps their Facebook status says something like, "Ohmigosh, spent 2 hours on Reddit today, such a nerd!" They call themselves a nerd because it's cute and chic, but they are not a nerd.2. The Self-Proclaiming Nerd
About half a year ago I was walking through the quasi-antiquarian section of Half Price Books, looking for a pretty edition of Gulliver's Travels. A stout lady nudged her way past me; she was carrying a stack of books so tall that I couldn't quite make out her face. "Oh sorry," she said, sounding more excited than sorry. "I'm just picking up my usual amount and can barely see where I'm going!"
"Um," I said. I don't really enjoy book show-offs.
"Yeah," she continued, as though we were actually having a conversation, "I come her a lot." There was something about the entitled way she said a lot that made me feel as though she really wanted me to know that she was a book nerd, dammit! Self-proclaiming nerds differ from Subject Matter Expert Nerds (see #6) in that they prefer to talk about themselves and how nerdy they are (usually in a socially awkward fashion) rather than the thing that they actually claim to enjoy.
3. The, "I Let My Clothing Do My Proclaiming" Nerd
This nerd is a slight variation from the Self-Proclaiming. They really want you to know that they're a nerd, but they're too afraid to tell you. So they're going to let their T-Shirt do the talking, whether it is spelling out words with Periodic Table Elements or telling you to Keep Calm and Whatever. Classic T's also include "I'm Really Exited to Be Here Right Now" and "I'm Out of Bed and Have Clothes On--What More Do You Want?" These t-shirts usually have mysterious stains on them, and the person donning them sometimes needs a couple showers.
4. The Nerdfighter, or, the Subculture Nerd
This type of nerd belongs to a moderately popular subculture, whether this be Nerdfighter or Whovian or Cumberbitches (Yes, that is a thing. Can you believe it?) It seems like many of these Subculture Nerds evolve from one of two places: 1. The Internets 2. British Television. As John Green would say, this type of nerd is "unironically enthusiastic" about something. A Subculture Nerd can and often will be a Subject Matter Expert Nerd (see #6), but many Subculture Nerds aren't very in your face. If you want to learn more about their subculture, you can always just follow their Tumblr.
5. The Nerd Who is Too Cool to be a Nerd
This type of nerd really enjoys nerdy things, but recognizes that these things are quasi-popular, and so therefore doesn't want to be associated with them. This person verges on Hipster, in that they sometimes reach to the far limits of nerdiness to pluck some rare nerdy gem that nobody has ever heard of. Perhaps it is a Japanese author or band that sings about Harry Potter.
6. The Subject Matter Expert Nerd
This is the type of nerd that likes to talk about a certain field. Note: I'm not necessarily saying that they're good at a certain field. Whether it be video games or rugby, classical music or Asian culture, this person wants you to know what they know because they know. This type of nerd tends to lead conversations in a direction that eventually ends up in their area of expertise. "Oh, yeah, I know, Glee totally should not have survived past the first season. But you know what did? Star Trek. Patrick Stewart didn't think the show would last more than a month, though, and he refused to unpack his suitcases. Speaking of Star Trek..."7. The Classic Nerd
My favorite type of nerd. This nerd is totally unaware of their nerdiness. What makes them a nerd? They're really really good at stuff that takes effort. Whether it be classical piano or ping pong, calculus or coin collecting, this nerd knows their field and loves their field, but they won't go bragging to you about it. This is for one of three reasons: 1. They are too shy to talk to you. 2. They don't think you'll be interested in their field. or 3. They don't really think they're that great at what they do, anyway. These are the hidden geniuses of society. The reason I call them a classic nerd is because this type of nerd--the math geek, the music major, etc--was the original picked on, shoved-into-lockers, taping-their-glasses nerd where I would argue nerdiness originated. They have always made the cool kids feel insecure about their lives and still do. While "back in the day" football players would simply beat up the Spelling Bee Champ, today we simply ignore them or question why they're never on Facebook. The Classic Nerd has no time for popularity, because they're actually doing something of value with their lives.
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