When I was a boy I was called a nerd all the time — because I didn’t like sports, I loved to read, I liked math and science, I thought school was really cool — and it hurt a lot. Because it’s never ok when a person makes fun of you for something you didn’t choose. You know, we don’t choose to be nerds. We can’t help it that we like these things — and we shouldn’t apologize for liking these things.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the importance of embracing one's passions, even if they are not popular or socially accepted.
Wil Wheaton reflects on his experiences as a child who was labeled a 'nerd' for his interests in reading, math, and science instead of sports. He emphasizes the emotional pain that comes from being ridiculed for one's genuine passions and urges people to accept and celebrate their individuality without feeling the need to apologize for their interests, fostering a message of acceptance and self-love.
In practice
In a school assembly about bullying, this quote can highlight the importance of embracing differences.
When girls are educated and free to pursue their passions, they contribute more to a thriving society. When women have a voice, they raise it to demand a life that is greater than what they've been told they have a right to expect. And these demands change the future for everyone.
Make this the golden rule, the equivalent of the Hippocratic oath: Everything we ask a child to do should be worth doing.
All too often, technology is treated as a silver bullet for perceived problems in education. This sometimes leads to knee-jerk investments, using scarce resources to invest in software or hardware without a clear notion of how either might actually empower learning.
We need to teach the next generation of children from day one that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.
Educational opportunities have supported the rise of the African middle class, the professional cadre of young people who are now willing and able to contribute to Africa's future prosperity.
Besides, rereading, not reading, is what counts.
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