When it comes to intellectual pursuits, enthusiasm, and interests, there are two sets of people that stand out; geeks and nerds. While these two words to many people mean the same thing, it is observed that there are characteristics that distinguish a geek from a nerd and vice versa.

Is "Sheldon Cooper" from "The Big Bang Theory" a Geek or a Nerd?

I have decided to use Sheldon Cooper who is the main character in the famous tv series "The Big Bang Theory" as a case example. Let us consider the definitions of the terms geeks and nerds below

A geek is an individual who exhibits an extreme level of enthusiasm, expertise, and deep knowledge in a particular subject, often within the realm of technology, science, popular culture, gaming, or other niche interests. They are known to be "collectors" of items related to these specific fields and spend an enormous amount of time analyzing and discussing contents related to the fields. A geek may be an introvert or an extrovert.

A Nerd however is an individual who has a strong intellectual inclination, particularly in academic fields, and has a deep passion for knowledge, analytical thinking, and the desire to be an exception in the field. They prioritize intellectual pursuits over social events and are most times introverted.

Sheldon Cooper is a brilliant and socially awkward theoretical physicist. Well, that kind of sums it up right? lol, but we still haven't answered the question above; is he a geek or a nerd?

If we look closely at his character in the series, we can see evidence of him being a geek. He loves trains and owns a train "collection", he literally lives comic books and science fiction shows, up to the point that he has clothes and collectibles all about comic books and sci-fi, and he'll have a fight with you if you don't like Captain Spock in "Star Trek". That aspect of his life is what makes him a geek. He is obsessed with a field and basically, his life revolves around it. Sheldon even made an enemy of Wil Wheaton; a comic show actor in the series because he didn't come to an event in which he was supposed to sign his (Sheldon's) comic book when he was eight.

Another aspect of Sheldon's life is his life as a Theoretical Physicist. Sheldon is an intellectual who is passionate about being a Nobel Prize winner, a feat that he later achieved at the end of the series. In this aspect of Sheldon's life, he is clearly a nerd. As an academic and intellectual scientist, he'd stay up all night trying to figure out solutions to some equations he is trying to solve or a challenge he hasn't figured out. This part of his character can be more accurately described as being a nerd. He even got all riled up when a young Asian guy who is more like a younger, less pompous version of him comes to the university for this doctorate degree and was like a competition to him.

To answer the question I asked above, Sheldon Cooper can be said to be both a geek and a nerd. While this is true for him, most times, people who are often referred to as geeks and nerds are mostly one of the two. We can definitely have a geek and a nerd in one person as in Sheldon's case, but if we look closely enough, we will see that most people are either a geek or a nerd but not both.

Well, this sums up everything I had in mind for the article and I hope you now understand the differences between geeks and nerds. PS: I was re-watching the big bang theory and the question popped up in my mind so I decided to do some research on it and then write about it. Hope you enjoyed reading the article. Thank you for your time and until the next time we meet, goodbye.

Banner Image Credit: "Pinterest"