The nerd and geek

# Chapter 122

“You’re depriving some poor village of its idiot.” Geissinger

I grew up in a culture that at the surface celebrates stupidity. They enjoy playing the dumb hick, that especially outsmarts the city slicker. Its a clever twist in that if things go well, how clever or smart you are becomes apparent, and if things go poorly, well you are just a dumb hick and you have not lost any social standing in the process.

Thinking deep and focused is nothing like this cultural game that is played out in the Deep South. It is intentional and planned and carefully implemented with purpose and direction. Ironically so for me, it begins with just admitting that I don’t understand something important and then getting to work on gaining that understanding. There is no pretense here. One of the greatest gifts of completing my doctorate is the certainty that I know “more and more about less and less.” I don’t feel smarter than anyone else, nor does that thought ever cross my mind unless I am in the Deep South.

Cognitive pursuits and intellectual rigor are not admired in most of the circles I frequent in MooCow GA. I was made fun of as a kid for being a “bookworm” and I have been a nerd and a geek all my life. I now consider that one of my superpowers and so cognitive pursuits are mine because I decide that they are and the village idiots are free to disdain me all they like. How our lives diverged and moved in separate ways pleases me greatly.

All you have to do is be humble and admit that you know so very little, and work hard to learn all that you need to learn. My learning curve has never been steeper and I am having a blast!