I had the impression that the whole embracing of being a geek/nerd was self-deprecating. But it seems that some people are being so ironic these days that it's

I had the impression that the whole embracing of being a geek/nerd was self-deprecating. But it seems that some people are being so ironic these days that it's hard to see where the meta-irony ends and the genuine feelings start. It seems that people who aren't nerds respect (that is, dis-respects) nerds just as much, just that now they can do it with more general social approval, and the nerds can't really talk back if these are relatively small slights because of all the seeming self-deprecation from nerds themselves; you don't want to be seen as humour-less and overly sensitive. Journalists can refer to working adults as nerds because, you know, self-irony and all that. Never mind the subtle put-downs; don't be sensitive. I think that people who have nerdy interests while also being a well-rounded person (a trait nerds aren't known for) are the biggest winners in this case. They already have social status, and then get even more respect for having interests that are associated with intelligence. Plus, since they already "have a life" in the mainstream sense, you know that they are being nerdy out of genuine interest and not because they were socially awkward and had to "find comfort" or whatever in some nerdy pursuit. I don't really consider myself a nerd, nor really a "normal" person. I think I have a lot of the negative traits of a nerd, while lacking some crucial traits/skill of a "normal" person. I don't really fit in anywhere in this dichotomy.