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Here's a theory on why nerds get bullied: Bullies instinctively realize that there's an unusually smart person in their tribe who is wasting their gift on frui
by westwing 6y ago
Here's a theory on why nerds get bullied:
Bullies instinctively realize that there's an unusually smart person in their tribe who is wasting their gift on fruitless endeavors, thus reducing the survival chances of the tribe.
Of course, our modern society can afford to have smart people play chess. However, there is no evidence that chess skill transfers to other areas. Therefore, until proven otherwise, developing chess skill should be perceived as frivolous, just like developing skill in any other less prestigious game.
- PartiallyTyped 6y agoYou are giving them too much credit. Humans only observe really local information and are, in most cases, unable to grasp the actual dynamics of the society, let alone 'what is beneficial' for it. Chess can be used as a means of showing that any skill can be learned [1]. [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200507/the-grandmaster-experiment https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200507/the-grand...
- westwing 6y agoI'm not talking about complex societies, but about the kind of small tribes that we evolved in, where such information is local. School classes resemble such tribes. If bullying was simply dominating behavior, it should be generally directed at anyone, yet it more commonly affects the stereotypical nerd. In any case, this isn't to give credit to bullies. There is no credit to be given for behavior that I consider innate.
- PartiallyTyped 6y agoApologies, by credit I meant to express that the causal relationship you are looking for may not exist. > If bullying was simply dominating behavior, it should be generally directed at anyone, yet it more commonly affects the stereotypical nerd. But then you risk a coalition that will shun you. A nerd is perceived as 'the weakest' of the tribe, this enables the rest of the tribe to bully the nerd by proxy, you give them somebody to look down on, without the risk of the nerd retaliating.
- dirktheman 6y agoI'm fairly certain that projecting your own insecurities onto weaker victims is the main reason why bullies bully.
- westwing 6y agoThat fails to account for the fact that many bullying victims aren't physically weak and that bullying can also be entirely void of physical aspects. What makes you so certain about it? Is this not simply what you would like to believe, because you desire some form of cosmic justice?
- sharker8 6y agoFunny you should mention the phenomenon of nerd bullying. Can't help but be reminded of Trump, a bully, who hosted a poker tournament in his failed casino. True to form, when asked if he was good at poker, he said he would be, if he had the time to commit to it. Later, an actual poker pro explained why his style in business and life indicates he would be a very terrible poker player, and might get lucky a few times, but then be defeated. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/07/12/what-donald-trump-could-learn-from-poker-351055 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/07/12/what-donal... Funny how his career is now mimicking his nonexistent yet bragged about hypothetical poker career. Stories like these give me hope that maybe there is a game with transferable lessons and skills. But I am still searching for such a game. One other point on our failed leader: he also is fond of verbally abusing people who are actual masters of their craft (scientists). Probably not a coincidence.