Life is full of instruction manuals, whether they consist of the “insert rod Q9 into slot A-12.” kind, that tend to come with any piece of flat-pack furniture or the “thou shalt not” sort, that are contained in many religious texts (though if B.F. Skinner was around back then, the writers of these would have known that positive reinforcement was much more effective than the opposite and would have benefited from writing as such). Being a nerd however, does not have an instruction manual, and though it would be wrong to say that I am a fully fledged nerd, there are some tit-bits of advice that I wish someone had let me in on. This is something I wish to rectify by sharing now.
10. Thou Shalt Graciously Lose.
Nothing is more irritating than someone who can’t see past the fact that they didn’t win. From gracious losing (not rage-quitting and keeping your cool), the energy that would normally be spent on being angry can go elsewhere, to your brain for instance. This way, when losses happen, instead of getting angry, making excuses and blaming others, you will be able to search for the real reason you lost, and as a result you can improve yourself. A great way to do this is to watch replays of your games, for example, you could use the Call of Duty Theatre utility to see your matches from a spectators point of view; when not suffering from the stress of battle you make it easier to spot your mistakes.
9. Thou Shalt Graciously Win.
The only thing that comes close to being as irritating as someone being a bad loser is being a bad winner (perhaps apart from when someone leaves dirty underwear in your room…so, me in other words). Well done, you won. There’s a time and a place to celebrate and the second after someone else has lost, right in front of their face, may not be the right one. By all means congratulate yourself, you worked hard to win. Just don’t rub it in other people’s faces. You never know, by taking this on board, when you thrash someone, hang them out to dry, and hand their backside back to them in a Macey’s bag, simply by being a gracious winner you may gain yourself a new fan, protégé or even…apprentice (dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum. Wow. John Williams’ Imperial March doesn’t translate to text at all. Wait a second.
That’s better).
8. Thou Shalt Always ‘Turn Up’.
Volume is not the subject here. As much as I would like to say “Play your music with reckless abandon.” I am very aware that you may get a visit from the police about that sort of thing. What I do mean is whether it’s a blog you are writing, or a game you are playing, it is important to commit as fully as you can to the activity that’s important to you. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t prepared for it or if you don’t feel up to it, just ‘turning up’ goes a long way. When asked what the secret to his success was, Starcaft commentator and shoutcaster, Sean Plott replied: “All I did was turn up. There were days that I had said I would shoot a Daily. Even if I wasn’t ready for it or didn’t want to do it I would make sure that a video went out.” Just turn up.
7. Thou Shalt Spread Your Time.
You may only feel you have passion for one or two things. However, if you spend all your time (of course I’m not including time spent eating or sleeping, unless those are your passions) solely on these it can impede other aspects of your life. Whether it is your relationship with your friends and family, or your attitude towards your studies, there will always be more to life than just your ‘favourite thing’. It also helps keep your ‘favourite thing’ special, something you do for enjoyment and ensures that it doesn’t turn into a permanent chore.
6. Thou Shalt be Open.
As much as this suggestion is featured in a post about nerd culture it translates well to many situations. Not being closed off to suggestions or ideas helps you to better yourself. Learn from other people’s mistakes and allow yourself to consider other points of view. You may find something you like. Being stubborn can have advantages, yet I have found that being flexible can be even more advantageous.
5. Thou Shalt Suffer Fools Gladly.
Now I’m not making the assumption that every nerd out there is incredibly intelligent. There are a lot who aren’t. The point here is that despite how much you may want to punch someone who, even after the tenth time of you telling them to do so, doesn’t tap their creatures after attacking, despite the word “Vigilance” appearing exactly zero times on their card. You should remind yourself that they are still learning. Admittedly slower than a Programma 101 could load a ten second video, but still they are learning. By all means educate them, just don’t lord your intelligence over them and try not show off , it won’t make them feel any better and will make you look like a (excuse my language) big poo face.
4. Thou Shalt Remember Thy Roots.
It’s all well and good harping on about how amazing technology is nowadays, just remember where that technology came from and appreciate how hard it was back in the day to get a piece of technology to do what seems so easy now. Make fun of Windows 4.5 while at the same time remembering how hard it was to make it. Scoff at dial-up and the irritating noises it made (which for some strange reason I miss), yet remember that it was one of the valuable stepping stones in the path to broadband. By doing this you will remember not to take anything for granted and be more appreciative of what you have today.
3. Thou Shalt be Aware of Apple’s High Prices.
Apple computers and gadgets are pretty, very pretty. Though be ever aware that you are paying an extra couple of hundred pounds (or yen, dollars or goats) for technology which was surpassed within the last two years. If you work in one of the many media sectors however, I am sorry; you haven’t got much of a choice any more. For those who don’t, feel free to buy one if you want to, nothing is stopping you , just make sure you have weighed up all your options first.
2. Thou Shalt Take Advantage of Thy Skillset.
If there are skills, talents or abilities which you have developed through nerdy activities, use them in the real world (and vice versa). Planning and resource management don’t just belong to Command and Conquer. They can be put on a CV as well. Sure there are some things which don’t translate to the real world easily, simply work out how they could be utilised in any way possible. For example, saying you are part of a clan that plays Halo successfully can be a sign that you work well in a team.
1. Thou Shalt be Proud of Who Thou Art.
This one is pretty self explanatory. You are who you are. Don’t be closed to the idea of change but also try not to be ashamed of what you do as a nerd or geek in order to please others. You play video games, you read comic books. Certainly if what you do is bad for you then some changes must happen but if the problem is that people are prejudiced against you simply because of your activities then ignore them. As Oscar Wilde said: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” wear your various badges of nerd status with honour and pride, it’s a more exclusive club than you realise.
So there we go. As much advice as I feel I can bestow upon you. Take it and go forth. Or if you want, don’t take it and go forth. It’s up to you. These are just some of the things I wished I hadn’t had to learn by myself. I hope that you too can learn from them and that you teach others what you’ve learned. As always I welcome any comments or opinions to be left here.
I’ll see you in Forbidden Planet.
10. Thou Shalt Graciously Lose.
Nothing is more irritating than someone who can’t see past the fact that they didn’t win. From gracious losing (not rage-quitting and keeping your cool), the energy that would normally be spent on being angry can go elsewhere, to your brain for instance. This way, when losses happen, instead of getting angry, making excuses and blaming others, you will be able to search for the real reason you lost, and as a result you can improve yourself. A great way to do this is to watch replays of your games, for example, you could use the Call of Duty Theatre utility to see your matches from a spectators point of view; when not suffering from the stress of battle you make it easier to spot your mistakes.
9. Thou Shalt Graciously Win.
The only thing that comes close to being as irritating as someone being a bad loser is being a bad winner (perhaps apart from when someone leaves dirty underwear in your room…so, me in other words). Well done, you won. There’s a time and a place to celebrate and the second after someone else has lost, right in front of their face, may not be the right one. By all means congratulate yourself, you worked hard to win. Just don’t rub it in other people’s faces. You never know, by taking this on board, when you thrash someone, hang them out to dry, and hand their backside back to them in a Macey’s bag, simply by being a gracious winner you may gain yourself a new fan, protégé or even…apprentice (dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum. Wow. John Williams’ Imperial March doesn’t translate to text at all. Wait a second.
8. Thou Shalt Always ‘Turn Up’.
Volume is not the subject here. As much as I would like to say “Play your music with reckless abandon.” I am very aware that you may get a visit from the police about that sort of thing. What I do mean is whether it’s a blog you are writing, or a game you are playing, it is important to commit as fully as you can to the activity that’s important to you. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t prepared for it or if you don’t feel up to it, just ‘turning up’ goes a long way. When asked what the secret to his success was, Starcaft commentator and shoutcaster, Sean Plott replied: “All I did was turn up. There were days that I had said I would shoot a Daily. Even if I wasn’t ready for it or didn’t want to do it I would make sure that a video went out.” Just turn up.
"Tim was both overjoyed and dismayed when he unwittingly discovered the hidden killstreak that turned your phone invisible."
7. Thou Shalt Spread Your Time.
You may only feel you have passion for one or two things. However, if you spend all your time (of course I’m not including time spent eating or sleeping, unless those are your passions) solely on these it can impede other aspects of your life. Whether it is your relationship with your friends and family, or your attitude towards your studies, there will always be more to life than just your ‘favourite thing’. It also helps keep your ‘favourite thing’ special, something you do for enjoyment and ensures that it doesn’t turn into a permanent chore.
6. Thou Shalt be Open.
As much as this suggestion is featured in a post about nerd culture it translates well to many situations. Not being closed off to suggestions or ideas helps you to better yourself. Learn from other people’s mistakes and allow yourself to consider other points of view. You may find something you like. Being stubborn can have advantages, yet I have found that being flexible can be even more advantageous.
5. Thou Shalt Suffer Fools Gladly.
Now I’m not making the assumption that every nerd out there is incredibly intelligent. There are a lot who aren’t. The point here is that despite how much you may want to punch someone who, even after the tenth time of you telling them to do so, doesn’t tap their creatures after attacking, despite the word “Vigilance” appearing exactly zero times on their card. You should remind yourself that they are still learning. Admittedly slower than a Programma 101 could load a ten second video, but still they are learning. By all means educate them, just don’t lord your intelligence over them and try not show off , it won’t make them feel any better and will make you look like a (excuse my language) big poo face.
"No Jimmy, combining Nirnroot, a Ruby and Mammoth Cheese does NOT produce Oprah Winfrey."
4. Thou Shalt Remember Thy Roots.
It’s all well and good harping on about how amazing technology is nowadays, just remember where that technology came from and appreciate how hard it was back in the day to get a piece of technology to do what seems so easy now. Make fun of Windows 4.5 while at the same time remembering how hard it was to make it. Scoff at dial-up and the irritating noises it made (which for some strange reason I miss), yet remember that it was one of the valuable stepping stones in the path to broadband. By doing this you will remember not to take anything for granted and be more appreciative of what you have today.
3. Thou Shalt be Aware of Apple’s High Prices.
Apple computers and gadgets are pretty, very pretty. Though be ever aware that you are paying an extra couple of hundred pounds (or yen, dollars or goats) for technology which was surpassed within the last two years. If you work in one of the many media sectors however, I am sorry; you haven’t got much of a choice any more. For those who don’t, feel free to buy one if you want to, nothing is stopping you , just make sure you have weighed up all your options first.
2. Thou Shalt Take Advantage of Thy Skillset.
If there are skills, talents or abilities which you have developed through nerdy activities, use them in the real world (and vice versa). Planning and resource management don’t just belong to Command and Conquer. They can be put on a CV as well. Sure there are some things which don’t translate to the real world easily, simply work out how they could be utilised in any way possible. For example, saying you are part of a clan that plays Halo successfully can be a sign that you work well in a team.
1. Thou Shalt be Proud of Who Thou Art.
This one is pretty self explanatory. You are who you are. Don’t be closed to the idea of change but also try not to be ashamed of what you do as a nerd or geek in order to please others. You play video games, you read comic books. Certainly if what you do is bad for you then some changes must happen but if the problem is that people are prejudiced against you simply because of your activities then ignore them. As Oscar Wilde said: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” wear your various badges of nerd status with honour and pride, it’s a more exclusive club than you realise.
So there we go. As much advice as I feel I can bestow upon you. Take it and go forth. Or if you want, don’t take it and go forth. It’s up to you. These are just some of the things I wished I hadn’t had to learn by myself. I hope that you too can learn from them and that you teach others what you’ve learned. As always I welcome any comments or opinions to be left here.
I’ll see you in Forbidden Planet.
