# Help me understand these nerd behaviors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565 "2005-09-26T22:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/1 "2005-09-26T22:34:06Z")
1: Runnning for no good reason. I often see nerds break out into all-out sprints. Usually, this is coming out of movie theaters. They’ll break into a sprint for about fifteen yards (if that) and then slow it down to a quick walk before walking as fast as they can. This continues until they get to the crowd of people or a door. 2: Cracking necks. The nerds grab their heads and twist, like they’re Rambo coming up behind some poor Commie guard and breaking their necks. 3: Jumping down the last few stairs. Especially while wearing trenchcoats. I think there’s some sort of Batman/ninja thing going on here, but they always try from one step too many and lose their balance or nearly get brained by someone opening the door from the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/2 "2005-09-27T00:58:51Z")
I used to do all of these. I’m such a dork. Here’s my WAGs: 1: Uh, no idea. For me this wasn’t so much movie theaters, which I’ve never even seen done, but where a downward incline levels out. I don’t do this anymore, but rather than fight gravity all the way down I’d just let it move me faster, and you control that by breaking into a run. 2: This one I do because if I don’t it happens anyway, from natural movements of my head. 3: I stopped doing this one after I sprained my ankle. I can’t remember why I started doing it, but I know that I started as a young child. A holdover from my more exuberant days, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/3 "2005-09-27T01:40:13Z")
I do the nerd sprint, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you why. I think it is the wind in my hair. ---
**Author:** ![Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erinaceus_europaeus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/4 "2005-09-27T01:45:38Z")
I’m what you’d probably call a nerd. > [@Chairman Pow](#): > > 1: Runnning for no good reason. What the hell are you talking about? Most nerds I know don’t run even if there _is_ a good reason. > [@Chairman Pow](#): > > 2: Cracking necks. The nerds grab their heads and twist, like they’re Rambo coming up behind some poor Commie guard and breaking their necks. What the hell are you talking about? I really don’t have a clue. > [@Chairman Pow](#): > > 3: Jumping down the last few stairs… That’s because it’s FUN! Try it some time. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/5 "2005-09-27T02:38:41Z")
Here are my guesses (I’m not a nerd! I’m not!): 1. A short, sugar-fueled burst of energy. 2. Long periods of time spent at a computer = stiff neck. 3. Cause it’s cool! ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/6 "2005-09-27T02:47:07Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > 1. Long periods of time spent at a computer = stiff neck. Definitely the reason I do it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/7 "2005-09-27T03:29:56Z")
As a former (current? :eek: ) nerd, the idea to remember that while the rest of humanity figures out that such activities reduced attractiveness to the opposite sex, and quits juvenile behavior, nerds don’t “get it” for much longer. I was really surprised to find out how much efforts my current friends expended when they were going to high school, in order to be cool. I was just a D’nD playing nerd (pre PC days :eek: :eek: :eek: ) and wasn’t aware of the connection between being cool and getting girls. I’d still like to jump down the last few stairs, but too un-nerdy now. I guess that’s why I like taking my young niece and nephew around, let’s you act like a child and people admire you. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/8 "2005-09-27T06:51:55Z")
> [@Erinaceus europaeus](#): > > I’m what you’d probably call a nerd. > > What the hell are you talking about? Most nerds I know don’t run even if there _is_ a good reason. > > What the hell are you talking about? I really don’t have a clue. > > That’s because it’s FUN! Try it some time. As you don’t seem to know much about 1 and 2, perhaps you aren’t a nerd at all. Geek maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/9 "2005-09-27T06:58:32Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > 1. Long periods of time spent at a computer = stiff neck. Or a gaming table. Or reading. Or…so on. Nerd-types tend to have a lot of activities that tend to result in stiff, aching necks (and backs). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/10 "2005-09-27T07:23:03Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > 3: Jumping down the last few stairs. Especially while wearing trenchcoats. I think there’s some sort of Batman/ninja thing going on here, but they always try from one step too many and lose their balance or nearly get brained by someone opening the door from the other side. Running or jumping while wearing a long coat means that the coat trails out behind you in a way that, if life were a movie, _always looks cool_. Life isn’t a movie, so it doesn’t necessarily look cool in reality, but that’s no reason to put off trying. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/11 "2005-09-27T07:27:31Z")
1. It’s _fun_! 2. Stiff neck? 3. It’s _fun_! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/12 "2005-09-27T07:35:15Z")
1. ??? 2. Reboot brain. 3. Late for class. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/13 "2005-09-27T08:03:33Z")
My brother does the cracking neck bit because he tries to crack/pop every joint in his body. He’ll casually crack his toe joints (by slipping his feet out of his shoes and pressing his toes against the floor) while holding a conversation. When he gets up, he’ll stretch and pop his whole body. He can even manage to crack his sternum. He claims that this takes talent. Possibly he’s right. I crack my knuckles. I started doing it when I was a kid. Now I do it because it relieves the ache in my joints temporarily. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/14 "2005-09-27T08:22:59Z")
At the risk of being redundant, I’ll weigh in and say that nerds do all three simply because it’s fun. They either don’t know or don’t care that these things are uncool. ---
**Author:** ![Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erinaceus_europaeus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/15 "2005-09-27T08:24:46Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > As you don’t seem to know much about 1 and 2, perhaps you aren’t a nerd at all. > > Geek maybe? Hmmm… Could be 🙂 But still I’ve never seen anyone grab their head to twist their neck. Maybe it’s an american thing? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/16 "2005-09-27T08:28:27Z")
I don’t break into sprints\* and as a confirmed acrophobe the idea of jumping down stairs scares me, but cracking joints feels good. I’ve never cracked my sternum and I don’t know how that’s even possible, but I regularly crack elbows, knees, knuckles, toe knuckles, ankles, and various spinal joints. \*(I do, however, enjoy walking for hours in a semi-fugue state. I can lose myself in my ideas and fantasies and music just walking up and down the empty dirt road near where I live. To achieve this without tiring myself, I essentially set a ‘cruise control’ and maintain a steady pace the whole time. Breaking into sprints would negate that and probably force me to think about what my body’s doing.) ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/17 "2005-09-27T10:10:09Z")
1. Well, as a borderline claustrophobe, it’s one way to get out of the crowd when you’re leaving a movie theatre. However, I prefer to simply sit in the theatre seat and wait til all the other people have left, and I can amble out at my own comfortable pace. 2. Staring at computer screens can lead to stiff necks. 3. It’s fun. I got into the habit of leaning far down, grabbing the handrails, and jumping down ladders (stairs to you landlubbers) while in the Navy. Part of this is because the angle for Navy ladders is so extreme you’re more likely to do oneself an injury trying to step on each step while going down quickly, than if one jumps down. Never intentionally did it with a trenchcoat, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/18 "2005-09-27T10:59:40Z")
I’m sure the behaviour itself predates the movie, but I think it’s a fairly safe bet that the geeks doing the trenchcoats/jumping thing will have, playing in their heads, the music from the lobby scene in _The Matrix_. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/19 "2005-09-27T11:33:09Z")
1. Even nerds need exercise. 2. Sitting in front of the computer all day leads to stiff necks! 3. Sorry, can’t help ya there. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565/20 "2005-09-27T11:46:27Z")
As a corollary to the nerd sprint, they also tend to sprint with their arms basically pointing straight down, instead of bent at the elbows like a person who actually sprints properly. Definitely adds to the nerdiness of the sprint. The nerd sprint is also characterized by an exaggerated heel-toe roll of the foot with the leg swung out to the front and perhaps a forward torso lean, instead of an “on the toes” sprint with an upright torso like a real sprinter performs. The nerd sprint is one of the most puzzling behaviors of Nerdus Erectus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-nerd-behaviors/323565.md?page=2)