Nerd? I prefer the term 'Intellectual Badass'

Nerds.

Admit it, first thought through your brain- thick glasses, pasty skin, greasy hair.

This is the sad but honest opinion of most people on nerds. So then you may ask who are the nerds?

The Wikipedia definition of a nerd:

“A Nerd is a person, typically described as being overly intellectual, obsessive or socially impaired. They may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, obscure or non-mainstream activities, which are generally highly technical or relating to topics of fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally many nerds are described as being shy, quirky and unattractive and may have difficulty in participating or even following sports. “

I was appalled to see that academics is no longer considered as a mainstream activity!

Growing up mostly in India, I have never had to undergo the high school stereotyping which seems to be rampant in the western world. But, I have read and heard enough stories to figure out the hierarchy system that seems to be prevalent.

My question is why? Why would you insult an individual who has a much higher IQ than yours? Why would you make fun of their dressing style and hair? Why would you point out their minute disparities and make them uncomfortable? Why would you want to look down upon them? Why do you have the need to prove you are better than them?

It all comes down to this: Jealousy and Insecurity. The others are so threatened by the intellectual prowess of the nerds that they have a continuous need to boost their own shallow ego. Bullying and making fun of them in public makes them feel strong and in control.

It’s different in my part of the world though, here you are encouraged to be a nerd, in fact, people are in awe of nerds. I most certainly am. The fact that the person has so much knowledge crammed in their brain is fascinates me. The fact that they have so much passion for a subject is amazes me. The fact that they don’t care how anyone else judges them inspires me. Nerds are a class apart; I wish I was smart enough to be one. In fact the whole nerd culture has fascinated people so much; they are even making television series on it. Anyone who watches “The Big Bang Theory” here will get my point. A show with so much science, so much intellectualism  so deep, so sharp would have never grabbed the attention of millions if not for the popular beliefs of the nerd culture. Yes, they do exaggerate many a times, but it’s all in the good interest of the viewer. Even in non-science, sitcoms, the nerd culture is catching on. One particularly interesting sentence that caught my mind was, ‘One day your fans will work for my fans’,  said the smart girl Alex to her pretty yet clueless sister Hayley, on the popular sitcom “Modern Family”.

Also, the nerd glasses are quite the fashion statement these days; you can see me in my picture flaunting them!

It’s good to be a nerd, for those who go through high school drama and social alienation, don’t stop being who you really are just because of a few insecure people. Be passionate, be different, be a nerd.

Ps – If are reading this and you are a nerd, most probably you will be rich pretty soon, I shotgun you to hire me as your concierge doctor.

Beat those Blues

Who doesn't get screwed up by life from time to time?

Everyone does. Difference being some may show it some do not.

So , my point being, do you feel blue more often than necessary?

Because I certainly do.  There are stretches of days on which I simply do not get out of my bed or my ‘bat cave’ as my best friend likes to call it. And to tell you the truth it’s the unhealthiest way to combat the blues. (No, I will not call it depression, that sounds scary. )

In medical school, feeling blue and underachieving may be a common phenomenon. Now that undergrad is coming to an end, post grad seems to be like this huge hole I am about to plunge myself into and never find the ropes of getting out. It’s does look like a very dampening future ahead.

But that is just my point of view. In general I am not so much of a happy person. Its just too much of energy being all smiley and cheerful. I like my brooding self and there are only a handful of people whose presence can make me less brooding. So being the dark angsty person I have had a fair share of being blue and bed ridden and can honestly give a worthwhile suggestion.

First of all face your damn fears. Make a list of things that bother you. It may be about yourself or someone else. If the someone else is bothering you so much, cut them off. There is no point in keeping a friendship or a relationship which takes up too much of your time and energy. These relationships are supposed to make you feel the world is not so bad after all, that you can get through bad times, that you can share your problems and not have to face them alone. Hell we have parents, let us leave the judgment and complicated stuff up to them! (I adore my parents, just saying) Seems harsh right? Well then You Only Live Once, don’t let any scumbag spoil it for you.

Now comes the more important part. Are you bothering yourself? Is the thing that annoys you to hell inside you? Then my dear reader I have the most apt and excellent quote for you :

“If you want to kill yourself, kill what you don’t like. I had an old self that I killed. You can kill yourself too, but that doesn't mean you got to stop living.

- Vargus, Archie’s Final Projectk

Trust me, this quote has helped me live through each day one at a time at one point of the darkest times of my life. Which, obviously I am not at all proud of.

Secondly, stop comparing your life with others. I know, that is so much easier said than done. Its human nature to compare and compete. Give it a try though.

I know, I am really not the ideal person to be dishing out the manual for combating blues. But I would like to leave with on the note, let me be in my darkness, my black world, for it takes a black velvety dark sky to show the brightest shiny stars.