I think highschool ends at 18, and even when I was that young I thought labels like that were silly.
Luckily I had friends / wasn't bullied so was in a position to not care about people who thought that way.
Chess for nerds? The stereotype
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Dec 1, 2014
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#4
First of all I think if you are a nerd it's important to own that word and proudly declare your nerdyness to whoever brings it up. Intelligence is power, things like chess and other nerdy hobbies are pretty fun. Caring about what other people think of you will just slow down your ability to improve yourself. Not to mention owning that sort of thing shows boldness and confidence, something people respect.
As a kid I was an athlete and always the biggest person in my age group. I never had any problems for the most part, people thought it was impressive that I was the best chess player at school. There was a kid a year older than me who did seem strangely obsessed with the fact that I played chess and was the only one who tried to bully me for it. He now brags to girls about how he does janitorial work for various elementary schools and might reenter college in a few years..
"Nerd" is a word made up by childhood bullies used in place of what they would call their future employers.
Another thing I noticed is how chess gets the most hate. I don't see checkers or other games and their player community being bashed as much as chess.
The downside of being such a popular game 
Very few competitive contests have such good organization on an international level, right down to each state in the US. Sure there are checker, scrabble, even monopoly tournaments... I'm sure if they'd heard of them, they'd hate them too lol.
Anyway, like Rogue said, just be proud to be you. And like I said, after high school no one cares about you or your hobbies. If anything they'll think you're some kind of genius just because you like chess 
Well, the original phrase went: "The first rule of Chess Club is to not talk about Chess Club."
Because of chess of course.
Most of the negative connotations of "nerd" faded away after the 80s when high-school computer nerds became the wealthiest people in the country.
In general, people who prefer cerebral hobbies over athletic hobbies are nerds.
Chess players are nerds. So?
People who think being cerebral is a negative thing are people I generally don't care to hang out with anyway.
Chess is a socially acceptable way to express one's awesomeness.
Argonaut13 wrote:
Chess has been given allot of flak and judging from what I seen. It hasn't been good either. Most people put chess players on the bottom of the social list. When people hear the word chess, they automatically think of a frail weak guy who doesn't have many friends. Most people think it's uncool I guess u can say I'm not saying everyone is like this. What are your thoughts on this matter?
I started playing chess in the 6th grade, and played it through Jr. High, and Highschool. I embrace my nerdiness! Of course i got heckled in school for it, but I learned long ago, that you need to be comfortable, and confident with yourself, and understand that others arent.
You must be staring at your pieces to the exclusion of all else. Just look up, occasionally. The competition is "awesome" as well. In a manner of speaking.
Argonaut13 wrote:
Most people put chess players on the bottom of the social list. When people hear the word chess, they automatically think of a frail weak guy who doesn't have many friends.
LOL.
Where did you get the idea that people equate chess to a "frail weak guy." Nerdish perhaps, but being a nerd doesn't equate to being "frail and weak." Hasn't for a long time; if anything nerdish behavior has evolved into a unique kind of coolness.
And nobody has the power to put another on the "bottom of the social list", that's something one does to themself, usually through their own attitude or behaviors.
Fiveofswords wrote:
i dont understand this stereotype. Ive never met a nerd that plays chess.
Neither have I; there seems to be a great deal of projecting going on around here..
Mersaphe wrote:
Nerds don't play chess. They're too busy discovering things, inventing things, changing the world, and making money. Geeks play chess because they have nothing better to do with their lives.
See what I mean about projecting?
I play Chess as well as a nmber of other games such as Go, Checkers and Chinese Chess. I also play Jetan. How much of a nerd do you have to be to even know what that is.
As for nerd, I am also an ex- 82 Airborne Paratrooper, a Spelunker and a Back Packer (Boy Scout). Please be relevant, helpful & nice!
everyone I know is too busy texting to pay attention to what i'm doing
Chess has been given allot of flak and judging from what I seen. It hasn't been good either. Most people put chess players on the bottom of the social list. When people hear the word chess, they automatically think of a frail weak guy who doesn't have many friends. Most people think it's uncool I guess u can say I'm not saying everyone is like this. What are your thoughts on this matter?