INTPs and the nerd stereotype

[Dimensional Transition]

INTPs are often described as the standard nerd, however, in reality, I have found this to be pretty untrue. I have a few INTP friends, and they tend to be a bit impossible to put inside some sort of single high school cliché... Definitely not nerds, though. Generally they seem to hop in between many different groups, and put the more popular people off because those folks regard most INTPs as weird, and in turn, INTPs don't like the 'popular people' back, because they are so narrow-minded and dumb. Maybe that's what caused this (in my eyes) misconception.

What do you guys think about this? It's just some sort of observation, really, but I'd be interested in what your opinions/observations are.

 

[GYX_Kid]

yeah during early high school i usually sat with a group that included some of my good friends, which was overall interested in video games etc. not extremely 'nerdy', some of them were more into things like chess and puzzles and some were more into skateboarding. some of the real loners with nowhere else to go sat with us and never really said much.

one day i ended up in a conversation about slipknot with some of the kids who identified as 'goth', who never would have guessed that i could get along since i wore really plain or random clothing. i was never outgoing in high school, but any group i've been any part of has always had particular individuals who i've gotten along with better than the group as a whole (and with others in that group).

recently i've been trying out hanging with different racially-themed cliques. at least when the opportunity arises.

i'll be an odd one in any group that i feel any connection to whatsoever. i do not complain.

it could be the INTP's "stick with this until i master it and get bored" mentality that is one of the pieces behind the social misfit existence. or i dunno, maybe some of you feel satisfied and at home with "nerds"?

 

[smithcommajohn]

I don't consider myself a nerd, nor have I ever been classified as one (at least not to my face)

I've done nerdy things before and I'll say something like "I'm such a nerd", but that's not really the norm, and is usually met with something like "No you're not, I like that too".

I think to be a "standard nerd", you definitely need to be Introverted, so we have that in place. Also, most nerds are Thinking, so we have that met as well. The other two I'm not so sure about.

When you see a nerd on tv they're typically what I would consider a J, very stubborn about what they believe in, which seems contrary to a typical P, imo.

I think I have a problem determining between N & S, so I have no clue there.

So, I'm thinking INTJ/ISTJ might be a better nerd match. What do you think?

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Well, when I meet the 'real nerds', a lot of them annoy me. They tend to really clingy. I don't like video games, I don't like school, which are things most of them seem most bothered with. And they tend to ruin these certain subliminal/absurdist jokes and such, by saying 'LOL THAT WOULD BE KIND OF STRANGE BECAUSE... [insert obvious reason why such a thing could not exist in 'real life']'
They're smart at school, but intellectually they're just very, very empty.

The 'nerds' as I know them seem like *STJs(some of them are quite extroverted, I think... Desperate extroverts. Hence the clinginess.)

I have one or two 'nerdy' friends though. They're nice guys, more into psychology and such. I tend to hang around more with the people who don't feel a connection with any other group. They're generally people who observe everyone at school all the time, try to get through school with minimal effort, occasionally experiment with soft drugs, like to draw, share music... They're not the 'indie' people, though. The indie folks care way more about what kind of music and clothes are 'avant-garde' haha.

I also don't really like where this thread is going (Because of my own posts , don't worry.) It's beginning to sound more and more like overly self-conscious 15-18 year-old blurb. However, it's still quite interesting

 

[GYX_Kid]

people who don't feel a connection with any other group. They're generally people who observe everyone at school all the time, try to get through school with minimal effort, occasionally experiment with soft drugs, like to draw, share music... They're not the 'indie' people, though. They care way more about what kind of music and clothes are 'avant-garde' haha

that's more like it

 

[Dimensional Transition]

that's more like it

You mean the kind of people INTPs would like to socialize with, or the stereotype of nerds?

 

[GYX_Kid]

i mean it's a better fitting stereotype of INTPs than the nerd one is

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Ah, yes. I agree!

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Wait until your academic prowess lands you a high paying job. When this occurs you will be a nerd, earning a nice amount of money and attracting pretty women.

 

[Ayee]

I'm not... nerdy, per say. Aye, I do spend a lot of time on the computer and like sci-fi and anime and old movies but I get that not many people have the same interests I do, so if they are not into it, there's no point talking about that kind of stuff. Hell, I don't even mention it - I go with the flow of the conversation, y'know?

Aye, I know a couple of nerdy people whom I'm in good terms with, mostly because I don't see them very often. Our biggest disagreement is over schoolwork (they have never shared their opinions on anything else with me): My grades are good or bad depending on my degree of interest in the subject... and all the effort I (occasionally) put into studying is merely to learn. I believe that as long as I understand it, good grades will eventually come - they're more of a consequence than a goal.

I am, however, in my class's top five... which means I'm constantly pestered by ridiculously competitive people over my grades. I can feel their glee everytime I get a lower score because it means they are a step ahead so obviously they are superior. Aye, many of them seem to cherish their reputation as knowledgeable most of all... therefore, they must overcome all threats (people with decent grades) in order to avoid failure - just to hear people say ''X is so smart I don't think he's even human!''.

They've reached a point where they think all they've got is their smarts and that all they can possibly accomplish is to be acknowledged for it... it's funny and sad and more than a little disturbing to see how serious and smug they are about things like assignments and test results.

Not saying all 'nerds' are just like that (I don't even know those people I described beyond their academical prowess). Come to think of it, I know of plenty of studious people who seem to be sane but sadly they're not the ones I'm familiar with.

 

[The Gopher]

Yeah the INTP stereotype is nerd but the more realistic type would be geek. J types tend to be classified as nerds and P types as Geeks. (which is strange considering the meaning of geek but that is what it has come to mean[at least in pop culture{hehehehhhm}])

 

[Words]

It depends on your idea of "nerd."(you seem to have a unique description.) It also depends on your idea of "INTP."

I will assume that your meaning of "nerd" is "people with odd fascination for academics."

I will assume that your meaning of "INTP" is "a generalization."

I will also assume that "stereotype" is simply "a neutral generalization."

Therefore,

Nerd = generalization of the "academically-inclined"
INTP = generalization of the X

What is X? X is close to but is not limited to what defines "nerd." "Close" in the sense that the INTP, due to defined "N" and "T", is more likely to be a "nerd" than most other types. Therefore, in comparison to other types, the argument that many INTP's are nerds would be "strong."

Also, my own personal experience agrees.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

I went to a anime club once with my x-gf. The geeks/nerds there horrified me. They were the stereotypical extreme. They were being aggressive about whether or not I played D & D. I was scared for my safety.

 

[MissQuote]

I have no clue.

 

[Architectonic]

What is this "nerd" stereotype you speak of?

 

[deadcaribou]

I think 'nerd' fits quite well for INTPs. At least for me

 

[pjoa09]

eccentric mr.bean-ish

thats it.
loner?

I could've been a loner jock really. I just played basketball and tried to avoid cafeterias during breaks.


But being a compulsive player really made me stink and unpopular but I couldnt care less.

 

[The Gopher]

It depends on your idea of "nerd."(you seem to have a unique description.) It also depends on your idea of "INTP."

I will assume that your meaning of "nerd" is "people with odd fascination for academics."

I will assume that your meaning of "INTP" is "a generalization."

I will also assume that "stereotype" is simply "a neutral generalization."

Therefore,

Nerd = generalization of the "academically-inclined"
INTP = generalization of the X

What is X? X is close to but is not limited to what defines "nerd." "Close" in the sense that the INTP, due to defined "N" and "T", is more likely to be a "nerd" than most other types. Therefore, in comparison to other types, the argument that many INTP's are nerds would be "strong."

Also, my own personal experience agrees.

Well after more research I am not so sure.

A definition for nerd is " A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept."

This seems to fit INTJs more (in my personal experiance)

But we have a problem the definition of nerd (according to one dictionary) is A foolish, inept, or unattractive person.

and for geek it has

A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.

So... nerds are unattractive and geeks are clumsy

 

[Dimensional Transition]

Well that seems about right.

Most INTPs here don't seem very annoying(besides me, perhaps ), or unattractive, or very caring about grades... Which is more the nerd stereotype.

 

[scorpiomover]

I cannot speak for other INTPs, because I cannot recall having any as friends. So I'll speak about myself.

I've always thought of myself as a nerd. To be honest, looking up all the things said on Wikipedia about nerds, I definitely would fit as a nerd. I've been called weird, strange, and an oddball, all my life.

However, I can say that ever since I was a small child, I was friends with white people and black people, ultra-religious people and atheists, extremely rich people and very poor people, sporty people and people who avoided sports like the plague, ultra-legal people and ultra-illegal people, and on all these, everyone in between. I've always loved meeting people from different countries, and have made friends with people from the UK, France, Germany, Greece, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Israel, the Gaza Strip, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Spain, Gibraltar, and probably a whole lot more.

Also, I've been interested in everything from mathematics to Yoga to films. It really freaks people out, when you discuss differential equations, the Sun Salutation, and who was in "City Slickers", all in the same conversation.

Ever since I was a kid, I didn't like running, or the typical physical exercise. But I did get a lot of physical exercise. I used to carry around an extremely heavy bag, and walk 3 miles a day on a school day, by choice. It just wasn't the sort of exercise that most people got.

No-one seemed to know how to classify me at all. Every time they tried, I'd just end up doing something else, that completely defied their definition of me.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

That means you're not exactly the nerd as we know it. You're just like most of us... weird.

I know what you mean man. I'm open to lots of different people, interested in many things, etc... I think it's the irregularity that really creeps people out.

 

[Words]

the nerd as we know it.

you mean, "as *I* know it." Do you really think your idea of "nerd" is more agreed collectively?

I have scoured for definitions and have found only two consistent characteristics: unsociable and intelligent.

 

[Hadoblado]

Hmmm... I can think of a few things that would throw me in with the nerds:

- I was chess club champion in high school.
- I played pokemon and magic the gathering religiously for a few years.
- When I find something interesting it consumes me entirely, that obsession thang.
- I will sometimes find myself nerd raging at someone over some intricacy of some game.

But then I think to myself about that one time in the summer of 2005 where I talked to that girl that time, and I know I'm the smooth sonofabitch no nerd could dream of being


I draw the line when people start getting their nerd pride on: when people perceive the cliche they've been grouped into and then embrace it, when they perceive a divide between themselves and the cool people, when they are ashamed of getting good grades because it might affect their social standing, or when they justify all their shortcomings through their perceived greater intellect. In short, if you are worried about being a nerd, or embrace being a nerd, in my books you are a nerd. People who are not nerds don't care about being or not being nerds.

If someone ever had a problem with me doing nerdy shit, I would lose my tree all over their whimpering remains. Well... I'd fight them or let them back down. I had some serious issues at that age, one of them being zero sense of self preservation. People who try and abuse labels still sicken me.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

you mean, "as *I* know it." Do you really think your idea of "nerd" is more agreed collectively?

I have scoured for definitions and have found only two consistent characteristics: unsociable and intelligent.

Meh, alright then... I thought quite a lot of people on here agreed with the definition of 'nerd' I have.

 

[scorpiomover]

That means you're not exactly the nerd as we know it. You're just like most of us... weird.

I know what you mean man. I'm open to lots of different people, interested in many things, etc... I think it's the irregularity that really creeps people out.

Creeps other people out about me as well.

I was once at someone's house, waiting for a taxi to take me home. 2 others were there. One of the 3 pulled out a puzzle. It was one of those 3-D interlocking puzzles. They'd all tried it and got nowhere. I said that I didn't have any time to even try. But they urged me on. So I said that I'd try, but that if the taxi came, I had to go. I found the main solution to it, in under 5 minutes. Everyone just looked totally boggle-eyed at me. Fortunately, just then, the taxi rang, so I could leave right then and avoid having to be freakshow centre of attention. Still found it funny though.

But then I think to myself about that one time in the summer of 2005 where I talked to that girl that time, and I know I'm the smooth sonofabitch no nerd could dream of being

Been there, done that, several times, with some seriously stunning girls. But only when I didn't fancy the girl. Guys would almost always ask me why I didn't just go for it. I just didn't care. I was having too good a time just being friends.

I draw the line when people start getting their nerd pride on: when people perceive the cliche they've been grouped into and then embrace it, when they perceive a divide between themselves and the cool people, when they are ashamed of getting good grades because it might affect their social standing, or when they justify all their shortcomings through their perceived greater intellect. In short, if you are worried about being a nerd, or embrace being a nerd, in my books you are a nerd. People who are not nerds don't care about being or not being nerds.

When I read this, my head just went: "No, NO, NO!"

In my 'book', I want to be friends with everyone, jocks, nerds, geeks, whoever. I refuse point-blank to exclude anyone on the basis of not being part of my little clique.

I did very much care about getting good grades, but because I wanted to do well in school, and I wanted to do well in the subjects I enjoyed. If someone else got a better mark than me, I felt a little jealous. But I didn't really care what anyone else thought of my grades. If I was smart in a subject, then it would show from my breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise. If it didn't, then I wasn't that smart in that subject, and it didn't matter than I wasn't.

I did realise that people would give me quite a large degree of latitude for my eccentricities, partly because of my intelligence, and partly because they found my idiosyncrasies endearing. However, I always felt that one did not totally make up for the other. My weaknesses were my weaknesses, and no matter what, I needed to overcome them, or to learn to live with them as best I could.

However, I have worried about being a nerd, because I don't quite like the idea that I am socially inept, lacking in confidence, not that good at sports, and that I can and do often get obsessed to an extreme about thinking about something, and because I positively hate being pigeon-holed.

I'd prefer to be me, and just accept others in the same way.

 

[Hadoblado]

Erm. I think there has been a miscommunication. When I say 'draw the line', I am not envisioning a line which is uncrossable. I am attempting to articulate my own understanding of what a nerd is, and I feel that a self-perception of being a nerd is crucial. Even if that perception is as limited as actively taking actions to distance one's self from being a nerd, this would often fit my criteria for being a nerd. A nerd is someone who is on the 'them' side of the 'us-them' mentality and understands themselves to be so, or at least borderline so. It is about your self perception; I have never met a person who claimed not to be a nerd who I was secretly thinking was a nerd.

Ummm. "I'd prefer to be me, and just accept others in the same way" - this to me is distinctly un -nerdlike. I would simplify the population into three types: the nerds, the judgers, and the 'just people'. The judgers hate on what they perceive as nerds, the nerds get hated on by acting on their insecurities and reacting to the hate that's thrown out there for bate, and the 'just people' don't care either way. By being confident or savvy, you have circumvented the hate scurvy and placed yourself outside of the nerd stigma. A nerd would perceive the hate and then panic and failreact, by either attempting to embrace or deny his nerd-dom.

I feel like I've said all this shit really badly. mmmmmmmIdon'tcareit'slate. I don't hate nerds and I'm not getting all judgmental on them, in fact my avatar is a pic of me which when mirror-imagedbegami-rorrim reminded me of the biggest nerd I know.


10 points if you noticed that I spelled mirror-imageb with a 'b'.

In my model of nerd, the only people who care about them being nerds are the people who are them or the people who hate them. I am neither, and I don't believe you are either.

 

[SilentChaos]

- I was chess club champion in high school.
- I played pokemon and magic the gathering religiously for a few years.
- When I find something interesting it consumes me entirely, that obsession thang.
- I will sometimes find myself nerd raging at someone over some intricacy of some game.

Respect.

 

[kantor1003]

I don't like video games

How is that even possible?

 

[Dimensional Transition]

How is that even possible?

The puzzle games are frustrating... Racing games are boring, MMORPGs are kind of fun at first but soon become really time-consuming and uninteresting, an occasional first person shooter is alright, though.
I don't like most video games would've been a better thing to say, probably. But even the few games I kind of like I don't play every day...

Anyways, I kind of regret making this thread now. It feels a little unfriendly.

 

[Beat Mango]

INTPs are often described as the standard nerd, however, in reality, I have found this to be pretty untrue.

 

[Dimensional Transition]

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I still stay with my opinion that INTPs are not the standard nerds. INTPs would have to care more about grades for that. They may be loners, they may say psuedo-intellectual stuff, but nerds, nah.

Spoiler

I'm ashamed of myself because I'm categorizing people in high school terms.

 

[smithcommajohn]

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I love Mythbusters! We're such nerds! lol

 

[smithcommajohn]

I think 'nerd' fits quite well for INTPs. At least for me

Good grief... I think I'm a Dweeb!!! WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME?!?!?

 

[Smooch]

I went to a anime club once with my x-gf. The geeks/nerds there horrified me. They were the stereotypical extreme. They were being aggressive about whether or not I played D & D. I was scared for my safety.

hahaha

 

[Jelly Rev]

hmm why not just make intp a stereotype.
for ex. when I was in high school I was nominated for most likely to president, class slacker, class complainer, and head in the clouds.

does that not sound like an intp? has the potential, but doesnt care and complains about doing pointless stuff, all the while is busy daydreaming.

 

[IfloatTHRUlife]

I would definitely consider myself a nerd. The main problem is, there are different kinds of nerds, not all nerds are focused entirely on academics.

To me, being a nerd just means that you take any of your intellectual pursuits seriously, and this can be anything.

When i play video games i am not just playing to have fun or because i enjoy story lines or anything like that, i play because i enjoy testing my skill, so i take it seriously.

When i was in school, most of my friends liked cars, but they were not on the same level as me, they just had their favorite manufacturer or certain car, maybe knew a little bit about it. I on the other hand could identify nearly every type of car i saw, the type of engine etc. I could describe in detail exactly what the purpose for every component in an engine was. I could describe how modifications made engines more powerful, what modifications i thought would be best with what type of car etc. to the point that "car guys" just didn't even care and wouldn't even talk to me about cars.

I have a deep interest in human behavior, personality, and just psychology in general, and when i was in high school, i tried having a conversation with my biology teacher about what effects the time of year that someone was born might have had on a child's early psychological development based on the temperature, the weather, the length of the days during that time of year etc. and he was impressed that i would want to talk about something like that but he didnt even care enough to continue the conversation beyond telling me that.

I could go on but i think you see what i am saying, that the word nerd is kind of universal.

 

[xbox]

Well, when I meet the 'real nerds', a lot of them annoy me. They tend to really clingy. I don't like video games, I don't like school, which are things most of them seem most bothered with. And they tend to ruin these certain subliminal/absurdist jokes and such, by saying 'LOL THAT WOULD BE KIND OF STRANGE BECAUSE... [insert obvious reason why such a thing could not exist in 'real life']'
They're smart at school, but intellectually they're just very, very empty.

I find this characteristic of ISTJ's sometimes. I'm not going to use the word 'nerd' if it does offend others.

Haha lol, I burst out laughing at that though. Great analysis, when it comes to love, some of them can really weird a person out. Some unlucky ISTJs have approached my sister (ENTJ), oh man, some of the stuff they've sent or said to her was freaking hilarious (for me), creepy for her.

We always have these funny conversations of why she always attracts the I**Js, and why I attract all the E**Js.

The 'nerds' as I know them seem like *STJs(some of them are quite extroverted, I think... Desperate extroverts. Hence the clinginess.)

I was sorta thinking about this today, that I know of some ISTJs who may come across as extroverted because of the things they blurt out loudly without thinking, I dont know maybe I find them a source of entertainment. I don't think the INTP is the standard nerd, maybe it could be an ISTJ. I did observe that the standard nerd tends to have more extraverted tendencies like you described and that's definitely not an INTP trait.

Disclaimer: I'm not hating on nerds, just reflecting on past ISTJ observations and such. I think I'm pretty nerdy myself as I usually find myself enthusiastically running outside to watch meteor showers at 3am. I also consider myself to be vicious ninja pirate, and a vampire hunter. Besides ISTJs, I am too lazy to blurt out the highly offensive things that I usually think about, actually I'm usually too lazy to open my mouth to begin with, thus my mind does the talking for me. Unfortunately, this has caused me to become schizophrenic and/or possessed.

 

[EditorOne]

I love your chart, dead caribou.

I was going to point out various folks seem to have been working from different definitions of nerd. Already done, but let's take it a step farther as we all move along with over analyzing this:

Our good friends at Merriam Webster:

NERD: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits

GEEK:
1
: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2
: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked

3
: an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity <computer geek>

DWEEB: : an unattractive, insignificant, or inept person (We used this word occasionally back in the 1960s, by the way).

DORK: Merriam Webster kind of gave up on this: They just say "jerk", which for our purposes is "annoyingly stupid person." However, my own definition is a lot more charitable. I see a dork as someone who is socially inept but still lovable or cute at some level due to a degree of earnestness or something.

We used to have another category back when I was a kid. "SPAZ." It covered that class of people who sometimes lose control over themselves in greater or lesser degree when faced with stress, usually minor stress and usually an overreaction to it. "Harry spazzed out when he saw the history test. He'd studied the wrong chapter." Some people had permanent spaz status by virtue of their normal condition. From "spasm," obviously, but still, since we're indulging ourselves with overanalysis, I've added a history lesson. :-)

Obviously most posters don't really care all that much how they are labeled. Interesting, when you consider that a greeat many people build entire lives around avoiding some of those designations. Ever see a dorky cheerleader?

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I think 'nerd' fits quite well for INTPs. At least for me

What about neeb?

Dork seems endearing to me. Geek is pretty neutral, when you're aware of the boundaries like EditorOne pointed out.