“Did you seriously just make a Big Bang Theory reference? While wearing that shirt? Man, you’re such a nerd!”

It actually wasn’t a Big Bang Theory reference so much as it was me using the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment to demonstrate whatever it was that Luc, our friend, Alex, and I were talking about at the time.

I can’t remember what exactly that something was now but I can assure you it made sense in CONTEXT.

Speaking of context, the shirt I was wearing was this one:

It's my life. On a shirt.

Now, the nerd comment may have been said in jest (and was well earned; after all, I did drop quantum mechanics into a casual conversation while wearing a Twitter t-shirt), that doesn’t make it any less true.

I’m nerdy, and shamelessly so (ask my students, they’ll tell you).

I love learning and I’m all about the pursuit of knowledge simply for the purpose of knowing, y’know? I often say that, had I been more science-minded, I probably would have gone into earth sciences (although I’m quite content to throw myself into the social sciences I’ve come to call home). That said, my very un-scientific mind didn’t stop me from spending many an evening listening to Candice regale me with the things she had learned from her Harvard meta physics podcasts (Oh yes. Nerdy people keep nerdy friends) until my brain hurt and my mind felt like it was melting.

Also, I love Discovery Channel.

Love. It.

At the heart of all of this is the fact that pursuing intellectual growth is such an empowering feeling. I feel just as amazing when I learn something new or engage in something though provoking as I do when I have a good run spend time cuddling with my dog.

It’s a satisfying feeling, like I’m doing something worthy with my time (and, let’s face it, in a world of Gen Y identity and quarter-life crises, that’s not a sensation any of us should be taking for granted).

This is probably a big part of the reason I adore the Vlogbrothers, John and Hank Green, and their community of Nerdfighters. As a long-time lurker and only recently surfaced member of Nerdfighteria, I love everything about people who teach, inspire and encourage others to learn about the world around them and embrace the things about ourselves that make us awesome (the very things that some may call “nerdy” as a means of being cruel, unlike the opening statement of this post which was an observation of affection).

Anyway, that’s it. There was no grand point to this post outside announcing to the blogosphere just how much I appreciate my nerdy personality.

If you’d like to get your inner nerd on (or outer nerd, that’s cool too), I suggest starting by reading a book, trying something new, and/or going outside for a while. I also recommend spending a little quality time on the Vlogbrothers Youtube channel, which is ultimately what inspired this post. If you like what you see there (and/or you like to learn new things!) check out John and Hank’s other educational channels (both of which I’ve dedicated copious amounts of my already limited free time to without regrets), Crash Course and SciShow.

(And, no – this post wasn’t sponsored.)

Now go, be nerdy.

(And don’t forget to be awesome.)