When you hear the term “Geek” what do you think of?  If you’re a self-proclaimed Geek perhaps you think of a highly intelligent person who enjoys some of the less mainstream entertainment in modern society.  Perhaps you think of someone who is good with computers or who always has the latest technology.  Maybe you just think of someone who likes to wear black t-shirts with sarcastic sayings on them.

If you’re not one of the Chosen, though, you might have a different view of our society.  You might see Geeks as being socially awkward, unwashed, and out of shape losers who live in their mothers basement and work in a comic book store.  Society, on the whole, doesn’t paint a very pretty picture of Geeks as a general rule.

Stereotypes are ugly things.  On one hand it is fair to say that stereotypes exist for a reason and are generally rooted in some form of reality. On the other hand it is never fair to paint a certain class of people with a broad paint brush; even still, it happens daily.  It happens so often, in fact, that one study that came out recently suggests that it happens so often that our stereotypes become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Calling it the “stereotype threat,” sociologists in this study claim that a segment of the members in a stigmatized group will actually perform poorly in stressful situations simply because that is what is expected of them.  While the article focused mainly on the elderly, it is easy to see how this would translate to any subculture you wished to apply it to – including ours.  Are “geeks” really awkward around the opposite sex, or does the adrenaline rush from introducing yourself to someone you find attractive kick in the “stereotype threat” response?

While I hate to sound like a Stuart Smalley wannabe, the fact of the matter is that this study reinforces the power of positive thinking.  If you believe that you’re an overweight loser that will never amount to anything because you happen to think that Star Trek is nifty that belief will make all of your efforts to break beyond that much more difficult.  If, however, you believe that you’re a completely awesome person who is going to control the world some day who just happens to know for a fact that Star Trek : The Next Generation is the Greatest.  Show.  Ever?

Well I can’t speak to whether or not you will actually control the world, but I will say your chances are much better with that mindset.