posted on 03/05/2009
Someone had gotten to talking to me in regards to my "About Me" section, specifically about the part that mentions "Geek" and "Dork." I began to explain my definitions for various terms and thought it would make a good blog entry.
Geek: A geek is someone that possess a very high level of knowledge on a particular field. The more esoteric the bigger the geek. Geeks come in all shapes and sizes, I have personally met computer geeks, star trek geeks, fantasy football geeks, shakespeare geeks, and HVAC geeks. Geeks can be annoying at times, especially when their passion is in an area that you have no interest in whatsoever. Most Nerds are Geeks, but not all Geeks are Nerds.
Nerd: A Nerd is an introverted person that lacks social skills. They usually only feel comfortable in the company of other people who are also introverted. Nerds typically lack a sense of fashion, or are aware of current trends. It's sometimes assumed that Nerds aren't interested in women, but this isn't always the case, they just lack the skills to attract and converse with the opposite sex and therefore tend to avoid them. As for any skills they may have, its hard to determine the aptitude of a painter when they don't have a canvas.
Dweeb: A dweeb is similar to a nerd in the fact that they also lack social skills, though they can be introverts or extroverts. They tend to be totally unaware of their social surroundings and will blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, whether its appropriate or not. A dweeb can be a nerd and a geek, or neither. They can be found at all intelligence levels, though usually tend to be on the slower end of bus. A common trait amongs most dweebs are overprotective parents who shield them from the rest of the world which prevents them from gaining the knowledge to interact with most people.
Dork: Dorks will say inappropriate things much like a dweeb, but there is a key difference; they know what they are saying. Dorks are typically your class clowns, saying things for a laugh. Dorks aren't mean spirited, and usually are trying to include you in on the joke. While sometimes mean spirited people are thought to be Dorks, their classification is more correctly Dicks, but there is a strong similiarty, in fact some dictionaries will list "Dork" as a synonym for "Dick" though they have different intents.
To classify this in terms from the television show "The Big Bang Theory" which does deal with many types of the above: Leonard would be a geek, but he does have some social skills, so while nerdy at times, wouldn't be considered a true nerd. He has a tendency to be a dork as well, as he is including you in the humor. Sheldon is most definitely a geek and a nerd, with some dweeb characteristics. His awkwardness in most situations really highlights his Nerdiness and Dweebishness.