Why are “nerds” made fun of?

[Ashleyxoxo]

Why are bookish people made fun of? Yes, some of them lack social skills, but so what? Why is being smart a bully magnet?

[Forgettable]

Because it's common for less intelligent people to have weak egos, and they feel better about themselves by trying to bring other people down to their level.

[Elegiac]

Because it's fun to shove them in lockers every time they start up about ethics in video game journalism.

[monkfailz]

We tend to think of "cool" as the jocks and cheerleaders, socializing, partying. And nerd is almost none of those things. Nerds are mostly introverted, spend alot of time with their computer and books, and rarely socialize going out to the cool social parties.

[Zan15]

From all the Rom Coms of the 1990's i learned that all the nerd girls are secretly the hottest beings on earth!!! So i never made fun of them, just in case ....just...in...case!!

[monkfailz]

From all the Rom Coms of the 1990's i learned that all the nerd girls are secretly the hottest beings on earth!!! So i never made fun of them, just in case ....just...in...case!!

[muto]

Because it's common for less intelligent people to have weak egos, and they feel better about themselves by trying to bring other people down to their level.

As Mark Twain would say “Never argue with a stupid person they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience”.

[Bodonius]

Tbh never seen a nerd get picked on in real life. They are just ignored.

[Yavimawa]

Less intelligent kids feel insecure and they do not know any better than to attack what they fear. They want to maintain a high status in their community because they fear being excluded. They want to climb in the hierarchy of their community, so they pick it up on the weak to show their dominance to others. And since others are usually also stupid at this age, it works(other apes are impressed by the strength of that individual).

On the other hand, nerds are taught not to get involved in violence, and that violence will not go unpunished. They keep their guards low, have faith in justice, and are often simply afraid of punishment. For some reason, a quiet kid that hits back will face backlash while the kid that harrases everyone all the time will be portrayed as a victim of aggression. No, it's not movie stereotype, I experienced it myself!

So, in other words, nerds are victims of small tyrants working their way up in a hierarchy of apes. That's my theory.

- - - Updated - - -

Tbh never seen a nerd get picked on in real life. They are just ignored.

Being excluded from a community is passive-aggression. Do you think these people love being shunned away and that nobody wants to talk to them? And if someone sees you interacting with them, you will be excluded as well. It's group cruelty, not being "just ignored". And unfortunately, I've seen it, and even participated in it myself. My only excuse is that I was just like everybody else, just a stupid, unsympathetic kid that didn't understand what was happening.

[Bodonius]

Never seen a nerd get bullied, fat and ugly people yes all the time. But nerd na, then there was usually other things also.

- - - Updated - - -

Being excluded from a community is passive-aggression. Do you think these people love being shunned away and that nobody wants to talk to them? And if someone sees you interacting with them, you will be excluded as well. It's group cruelty, not being "just ignored". And unfortunately, I've seen it, and even participated in it myself. My only excuse is that I was just like everybody else, just a stupid, unsympathetic kid that didn't understand what was happening.[/QUOTE]

I was a nerd in elementary. Sure it wasnt fun to never be asked, and when you where asked (because some the the rule to ask everyone), then you didnt know how to act like most people. But it wasnt bullying, not compared to what happened to fat kids.

[PACOX]

Apart from some people being socially awkward in an annoying way it's because people can't reconcile all the effort they put in to 'fit in' while the 'nerd' is happy doing their own thing. Generally people who poke fun of what others are doing (as long as no one is being harmed) struggle with their own insecurities and try to project them onto others. "Why can't you be miserable like me???"

- - - Updated - - -

We tend to think of "cool" as the jocks and cheerleaders, socializing, partying. And nerd is almost none of those things. Nerds are mostly introverted, spend alot of time with their computer and books, and rarely socialize going out to the cool social parties.

Steve is a terrible person. People tried to be his friend, but he is unapologetically needy, overbearing, creepy, and clumsy. When asked to do better he guilt trips people into corners. No one liked Steve for good reasons.

[PC2]

I guess it's an ego boost. In college I remember this fat ugly girl in one of my groups who acted like a jock for some reason and would insult me because I said I like Star Trek. It didn't bother me though because my girlfriend(now wife) is way hotter than her.

Like other people have said it probably reflects their own insecurities. *shrug*

[Shadowferal]

Never really saw this sort of thing...in any school I was in.

[Grimbold21]

What is this? The 1980's in the US?

[Shadowferal]

What is this? The 1980's in the US?

I was thinking the 60s.

[Fencers]

Why are bookish people made fun of? Yes, some of them lack social skills, but so what? Why is being smart a bully magnet?

You answered your own question. So much for reading books, huh.

[Felya]

Because they are socially awkward, making social situations pretty much the only space where dumb asses can out think them.

- - - Updated - - -

Never really saw this sort of thing...in any school I was in.

Neither did I... we didn’t have any nerds in my AP classes... nope... no nerds...

- - - Updated - - -

From all the Rom Coms of the 1990's i learned that all the nerd girls are secretly the hottest beings on earth!!! So i never made fun of them, just in case ....just...in...case!!

Uhm... what did you do before then?

[kamuimac]

Tbh never seen a nerd get picked on in real life. They are just ignored.

nah they are picked on in school where kids just start how to learn how to function in society.

later or past high school they are ignored - what hurts them most is that they are ignored by women and they desperately try to rationalise it to themselves anyhow possible just not to fall in depression when reality is most of nerds are weak genes betas who just happen to play a lot of game (most of them dont even read books anymore)

a lot of people also mistake reading books like mainstream fantasy with being inteligent - nope just because you read some fantasy/SF book it wont make you smarter or more inteligent.

[Shadowferal]

Ignored by the hot chicks?
Now that I've seen.

[Nihilist74]

Is it really that bad for nerds? I think everybody gets picked on. I was usually the biggest kid in class and got picked on once in a while.