A "geek" is anyone who is skilled at task which the "cool"
people can't do (although they claim it's that they *won't*
do it, since it is "uncool").
Being good at math or science (except amateur gynecology :-)
is "uncool" and therefore geeky.
Being good on a musical instrument is "uncool," unless it
is a guitar or drums and you're playing heavy metal. Most
musicians are geeky.
Being good at a performing art is "uncool" and therefore
geeky. However, non-performing artists aren't necessarily
geeky.
A common thread is that "geek" subjects are *demonstratable*
and *repeatable*. If you know math, you can do math consistently.
If you can play the sax, you can play the sax consistently.
Because of external validation, you don't need a peer group
for "positive strokes" and are fairly independent.
"Cool" subjects are *not* repeatable. Being a football player
is "cool", but there is no guarantee that you will catch the
winning pass in every game. Producing a painting may be
reproducable, but it is not *demonstratable* in the sense that
playing a musical instrument, singing a song, or acting a role
is. Because they don't have external validation from the
mere performance of their skills, they depend much more on
other people for "positive strokes". Naturally, to protect
their egos, they must ridicule the people who don't need
others to tell them how good their skills are -- the "geeks".
Bottom line: "geeks" are generally much more self-assured
and confident than the "cool" people are, except when it
comes to interpersonal relationships with a variety of
people. The trouble geeks have there is more an artifact
of the elder cool people (e.g., the football coach) successfully
defining the terms of "social success" than any failing
in the geeks -- intra-geek relationships are generally
*much* stronger than intra-cool relationships.
Finally, even the "objective" measures of social success
often show geeks ahead. A "cool" captain of the football
team may sleep with many women, but view them as nothing
but toys (and the women viewed him the same way). A
"geeky" president of the chess club may still be a virgin
but have meaningful relationships with several female
students. Saying the football player has had more
"social success" is extremely immature and adolescent.
It's like saying a person is a success because of their
bank balance, disregarding two divorces, a child who committed
suicide, another who is in jail for drunk driving, or the
person's ulcer and three heart attacks by the age of 40.
