Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life
Being a geek is like porn hard to define but easy to identify. I think the living in your parents basement and akward around women stereotype is still out there. Heck I 've stopped by the comic shop on the way to fraternity meetings. when you know the backstory for any comic,sci-fi , fantasy platform . From: Martin Baxter To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thu, August 12, 2010 2:31:30 PM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life Luucky you... ruthless and arrogant, I can live with. On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 7:33 PM, brent wodehouse wrote: >No, we're a geeky/nerdful lot, my family. Descended from a long line of >geeks/nerds, if truth be told. I cannot say outright we've any 'dum-dums' >ancestrally or in the extended family. Ruthless, arrogant bastards, yes; >but no idiots. :-) > >Brent > >Martin Baxter writes: > > >>Brent, to answer, I think it's a personality trait. Growing up, very few >>of my friends or family were inclined in that direction. Now, save for my >>niece, nephews and a few younger cousins, most of my family are D-U-M >>DUM. I had to have been born with it. >> >>On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 4:29 PM, brent wodehouse <[ >>mailto:brent_wodehouse@ thefence. us ]brent_wodehouse@ thefence. us> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >>[ >>http://www.wired. com/geekdad/ 2010/08/is- being-a-geek- a-personality- >>trait-or- way-of-life/ >>]http://www.wired. com/geekdad/ 2010/08/is- being-a-geek- a-personality- >>trait-or- way-of-life/ >> >>Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life? >> >>By [ [ http://www.wired. com/geekdad/ author/cebsilver / >>]http://www.wired. com/geekdad/ author/cebsilver / ]Curtis Silver >> >>August 9, 2010 >> >>I have a confession to make to you, dear readers. While I am a geek by >>most qualifying standards of the definition, my children so far do not >>share similar interests. >> >>Some progress has been made on the older one as he enjoys Anime, but >>that’s just because it’s less to read than a novel for which he has little >>interest. The middle one - he likes Star Wars but that is about it. He’s a >>sportsman at heart, playing football and baseball. While I did play >>baseball myself for many years, the geek side eventually won out over >>that. The youngest, my daughter, is my final hope in raising a true geek. >> >>Not withstanding, whatever they choose to do that makes them happy, makes >>me happy and I will not take that away from them because of my own selfish >>motives. >> >>It leads me to think though, what makes a geek? That is, when is that >>personality trait truly indoctrinated in the brain? When did I become a >>geek and set upon my own path in geekdom? While I do tend to think I >>embody the true sense of being a geekdad, I have to wonder what we are >>doing to raise the next generation of geeks to replace us and when in >>their lives does that training begin and stop. >> >>I suppose it’s sort of like Jedi training, perhaps it never stops. For >>myself, my father was an engineer, a total math and logic geek. I started >>out early with logic puzzles and Lego blocks. Of course I was into Star >>Wars, Star Trek and my father’s expansive science fiction book collection. >>To that end, anything geeky you can think of, comics and so on, I was into >>and throughly enjoyed. >> >>So in searching my memory, when was the day that the switch in my >>personality clicked and I was destined to be a geek for life? I don’t >>think I can pinpoint the day, or the year, but when I [ >>[ >>http://www.livescie nce.com/culture/ children- personality- adults-100804. html >>]http://www.livescie nce.com/culture/ children- personality- adults-100804. >html >>]read an article that claims that age seven is the cutoff for personality >>development I almost have to agree. >> >>The study shows that as early as first grade the personality traits >>exhibited by children are precursors to adult personality traits. Clearly >>this doesn’t mean the age appropriate behavior, like whining about having >>to go to bed and believing there are monsters in the closet. Which there >>are of course, but as long as you keep the closet doors closed and don’t >>look at them they can’t get out. Unless they are [ >>[ http://terrortube. com/images/ articles/ aliens_3. jpg >>]http://terrortube. com/images/ articles/ aliens_3. jpg ]Aliens or [ >>[ http://astro. ic.ac.uk/ %7Emortlock/ remnants/ 2009/3006/ morlocks.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life
Luucky you... ruthless and arrogant, I can live with. On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 7:33 PM, brent wodehouse < brent_wodeho...@thefence.us> wrote: > > > No, we're a geeky/nerdful lot, my family. Descended from a long line of > geeks/nerds, if truth be told. I cannot say outright we've any 'dum-dums' > ancestrally or in the extended family. Ruthless, arrogant bastards, yes; > but no idiots. :-) > > Brent > > Martin Baxter > > writes: > > > >Brent, to answer, I think it's a personality trait. Growing up, very few > >of my friends or family were inclined in that direction. Now, save for my > >niece, nephews and a few younger cousins, most of my family are D-U-M > >DUM. I had to have been born with it. > > > >On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 4:29 PM, brent wodehouse <[ > >mailto:brent_wodeho...@thefence.us ] > brent_wodeho...@thefence.us > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > >[ > > > http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/08/is-being-a-geek-a-personality-trait-or-way-of-life/ > >] > http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/08/is-being-a-geek-a-personality-trait-or-way-of-life/ > > > >Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life? > > > >By [ [ http://www.wired.com/geekdad/author/cebsilver/ > >]http://www.wired.com/geekdad/author/cebsilver/ ]Curtis Silver > > > >August 9, 2010 > > > >I have a confession to make to you, dear readers. While I am a geek by > >most qualifying standards of the definition, my children so far do not > >share similar interests. > > > >Some progress has been made on the older one as he enjoys Anime, but > >that’s just because it’s less to read than a novel for which he has little > >interest. The middle one - he likes Star Wars but that is about it. He’s a > >sportsman at heart, playing football and baseball. While I did play > >baseball myself for many years, the geek side eventually won out over > >that. The youngest, my daughter, is my final hope in raising a true geek. > > > >Not withstanding, whatever they choose to do that makes them happy, makes > >me happy and I will not take that away from them because of my own selfish > >motives. > > > >It leads me to think though, what makes a geek? That is, when is that > >personality trait truly indoctrinated in the brain? When did I become a > >geek and set upon my own path in geekdom? While I do tend to think I > >embody the true sense of being a geekdad, I have to wonder what we are > >doing to raise the next generation of geeks to replace us and when in > >their lives does that training begin and stop. > > > >I suppose it’s sort of like Jedi training, perhaps it never stops. For > >myself, my father was an engineer, a total math and logic geek. I started > >out early with logic puzzles and Lego blocks. Of course I was into Star > >Wars, Star Trek and my father’s expansive science fiction book collection. > >To that end, anything geeky you can think of, comics and so on, I was into > >and throughly enjoyed. > > > >So in searching my memory, when was the day that the switch in my > >personality clicked and I was destined to be a geek for life? I don’t > >think I can pinpoint the day, or the year, but when I [ > >[ > > > http://www.livescience.com/culture/children-personality-adults-100804.html > >] > http://www.livescience.com/culture/children-personality-adults-100804.html > >]read an article that claims that age seven is the cutoff for personality > >development I almost have to agree. > > > >The study shows that as early as first grade the personality traits > >exhibited by children are precursors to adult personality traits. Clearly > >this doesn’t mean the age appropriate behavior, like whining about having > >to go to bed and believing there are monsters in the closet. Which there > >are of course, but as long as you keep the closet doors closed and don’t > >look at them they can’t get out. Unless they are [ > >[ http://terrortube.com/images/articles/aliens_3.jpg > >]http://terrortube.com/images/articles/aliens_3.jpg ]Aliens or [ > >[ http://astro.ic.ac.uk/%7Emortlock/remnants/2009/3006/morlocks.jpg > >]http://astro.ic.ac.uk/%7Emortlock/remnants/2009/3006/morlocks.jpg > >]Morlocks, in which case you are screwed. > > > >“We remain recognizably the same person,” said study author Christopher > >Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Riverside. > >“This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it > >does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts.” > > > >The study looked at about 2,400 ethnically diverse children in grade > >school – in Hawaii. I find this statistic of the study to be very > >interesting. Why Hawaii? In the 1960’s when the study began – how racially > >diverse was Hawaii? Frankly, I don’t think race is as important as > >environment. More on that in a moment. The researchers compared > >personality ratings of the children with video taped interviews 40 years > >later. While not looking at “geek” as a specific personality trait, some > >of the traits they did study do carry into c
[scifinoir2] Re: Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life
No, we're a geeky/nerdful lot, my family. Descended from a long line of geeks/nerds, if truth be told. I cannot say outright we've any 'dum-dums' ancestrally or in the extended family. Ruthless, arrogant bastards, yes; but no idiots. :-) Brent Martin Baxter writes: >Brent, to answer, I think it's a personality trait. Growing up, very few >of my friends or family were inclined in that direction. Now, save for my >niece, nephews and a few younger cousins, most of my family are D-U-M >DUM. I had to have been born with it. > >On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 4:29 PM, brent wodehouse <[ >mailto:brent_wodeho...@thefence.us ]brent_wodeho...@thefence.us> wrote: > > > > > > >[ >http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/08/is-being-a-geek-a-personality-trait-or-way-of-life/ >]http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/08/is-being-a-geek-a-personality-trait-or-way-of-life/ > >Is Being a Geek a Personality Trait or Way of Life? > >By [ [ http://www.wired.com/geekdad/author/cebsilver/ >]http://www.wired.com/geekdad/author/cebsilver/ ]Curtis Silver > >August 9, 2010 > >I have a confession to make to you, dear readers. While I am a geek by >most qualifying standards of the definition, my children so far do not >share similar interests. > >Some progress has been made on the older one as he enjoys Anime, but >thats just because its less to read than a novel for which he has little >interest. The middle one - he likes Star Wars but that is about it. Hes a >sportsman at heart, playing football and baseball. While I did play >baseball myself for many years, the geek side eventually won out over >that. The youngest, my daughter, is my final hope in raising a true geek. > >Not withstanding, whatever they choose to do that makes them happy, makes >me happy and I will not take that away from them because of my own selfish >motives. > >It leads me to think though, what makes a geek? That is, when is that >personality trait truly indoctrinated in the brain? When did I become a >geek and set upon my own path in geekdom? While I do tend to think I >embody the true sense of being a geekdad, I have to wonder what we are >doing to raise the next generation of geeks to replace us and when in >their lives does that training begin and stop. > >I suppose its sort of like Jedi training, perhaps it never stops. For >myself, my father was an engineer, a total math and logic geek. I started >out early with logic puzzles and Lego blocks. Of course I was into Star >Wars, Star Trek and my fathers expansive science fiction book collection. >To that end, anything geeky you can think of, comics and so on, I was into >and throughly enjoyed. > >So in searching my memory, when was the day that the switch in my >personality clicked and I was destined to be a geek for life? I dont >think I can pinpoint the day, or the year, but when I [ >[ >http://www.livescience.com/culture/children-personality-adults-100804.html >]http://www.livescience.com/culture/children-personality-adults-100804.html >]read an article that claims that age seven is the cutoff for personality >development I almost have to agree. > >The study shows that as early as first grade the personality traits >exhibited by children are precursors to adult personality traits. Clearly >this doesnt mean the age appropriate behavior, like whining about having >to go to bed and believing there are monsters in the closet. Which there >are of course, but as long as you keep the closet doors closed and dont >look at them they cant get out. Unless they are [ >[ http://terrortube.com/images/articles/aliens_3.jpg >]http://terrortube.com/images/articles/aliens_3.jpg ]Aliens or [ >[ http://astro.ic.ac.uk/%7Emortlock/remnants/2009/3006/morlocks.jpg >]http://astro.ic.ac.uk/%7Emortlock/remnants/2009/3006/morlocks.jpg >]Morlocks, in which case you are screwed. > >We remain recognizably the same person, said study author Christopher >Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Riverside. >This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it >does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts. > >The study looked at about 2,400 ethnically diverse children in grade >school in Hawaii. I find this statistic of the study to be very >interesting. Why Hawaii? In the 1960s when the study began how racially >diverse was Hawaii? Frankly, I dont think race is as important as >environment. More on that in a moment. The researchers compared >personality ratings of the children with video taped interviews 40 years >later. While not looking at geek as a specific personality trait, some >of the traits they did study do carry into certain geek behaviors. > >They looked at both sides of the following personality traits; >talkativeness (verbal fluency), adaptability (coping with new situations), >impulsiveness and self-minimizing behavior (humility.) What they found, >and what is going to be argued when this study is published in an upcoming >issue of the journal [ >[ http://www.sagepub.co
