The concept of 'geekism'

Have you ever wondered what the word ‘geek’ means before you used it to illustrate the naïve, unsuspecting or uncomplicated person/s you detest, because you are outright jealous of something they are/you are not? If you haven’t comprehended the substance of the question above, I would request you to re-read it. If you still haven’t understood - I would advise you to visit your nearest psychologist and get your IQ level checked.

According to a little ‘research’ I conducted on the background of the word ‘geek’ – the word was originally used to describe certain performers at circus and carnivals. It gradually assumed a wide variety of meanings and lately has been used synonymously with the term ‘nerd’. It is supposed to be a derogatory term for one with low social skills, regardless of intelligence.While being described as a geek tends to be an insult, the term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures.

Let me give you an insight into the current status of the word geek in my present setup. You are most likely to be labelled a geek in the place where I study if –

- you are a day scholar
- you stay at home (extra weightage if you stay with your parents or rather your parents stay with you)
- you know the local language. Speaking with auto/bus drivers in english/hindi/french/german/arabic is in fashion.
- you do not wear your lab coat when you go to a mall/movie/pizza place
- you brush your teeth and have a bath regularly
- you comb your hair
- you carry an umbrella when it is raining (extra points if you carry one when it is not raining)
- you reach the lecture hall on time (even better if you reach before time)
- you write notes during a lecture
- you have more than the required attendance
- you attend classes for the purpose of gaining knowledge( knowledge of the subject the lecture is based on)
- you visit the library
- you read book/s in the library
- you do not drink coffee when you are crossing the road
- you do not have a mobile phone
- you are not doing what everyone else is doing
- you do not pretend to be someone you are not
- most important of all – you do not have a boy/girlfriend

Considering the parameters used to decide a person’s ‘geek’ qualifications, I would leave it to you to decide which category you would like to belong to – the geek or the so called great non-geeks. If you still havent understood what I’m trying to say I would like to remind you of the IQ test. If you found this blog offensive – I’m glad – it was meant to be so.