Nerd Vs. Geek Vs. Dork - the Psychology of The Big Bang Theory

I love the television show The Big Bang Theory and have been pondering what classification each character would be. I once found a really interesting definition distinguishing the differences between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. Many people use the terms interchangeably, however in a time where geek is chic and people actually like to distinguish between Trekkies and Trekkers, understanding the differences is important in this growing yet still very misunderstood subculture. For the record, here are the definitions I live by: A nerd is someone who is passionate about learning or being smart. They love academia. A geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. For instance, I call myself a geek because I can discuss comic books, Godzilla films, and spaghetti westerns with you. A dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations or interactions.

Sometimes though you will find hybrids or offshoots that defy or compound these definitions, for instance the characters from one of my favorite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory. If you are unaware of this show (and I'm sad for you if you are), the premise of The Big Bang Theory is how highly intelligent yet socially inept male characters interact with their extremely attractive female neighbor across the hall of their apartment complex. The results are geek chic hilarity.

Using the above definitions, let's analyze the main characters from The Big Bang Theory and see if they are closer to the nerd, geek, or dork definitions.

Sheldon - Though all four male protagonists of The Big Bang Theory are highly intelligent and each a scientist in their own right, Sheldon constantly discusses academia and openly mocks the contributions and errors of his friends. This is assisted by his photographic memory, so he recalls everything, thus making him the biggest nerd. However, he applies the exact same techniques to his passion regarding comic books, action figures, Star Trek and even sports discussions (though he loathes sports), hence making him the biggest geek. Sheldon unfortunately has no tact whatsoever and has very little care or concern for people's emotions and social etiquette (much like his hero, Spock), thus making him a huge dork. Sheldon is definitely all three categories, and the alpha one at that.

Leonard - Leonard is the closest to the everyman The Big Bang Theory has to offer. He loves what he knows and drops knowledge without prompting, putting himself into nerd territory, while he also loves video games and science fiction along with the other guys, thereby making him a geek. However, he skirts by dork by being the most socially aware of the group. He's able to have a girlfriend on several occasions, and he's the guy's link to Penny, the cute girl across the hall. In fact, Leonard is pretty much the reason why the group of friends even interacts with the average outside world. He can fall into the dork category at times, but tends to be aware of his social faux paus immediately afterwards.

Raj - Raj is definitely a nerd. His demeanor shows he's spent his entire life in the pursuit of knowledge and a career at the behest of his parents. He's Indian, here on a green card utilizing his brain for the sake of science. His hobbies, while treading into geek territory due to his friends, still tend to be on the nerdy side, as he's usually taking extracurricular classes such as dance or cooking, as he loves absorbing American culture. On The Big Bang Theory, Raj may actually biggest dork as he has the fatal flaw of being physically unable to speak if a beautiful woman is around!

Wolowitz - On The Big Bang Theory, Howard Wolowitz is portrayed as the smart Jewish kid, though he tends to not be kosher at all times. Wolowitz is a nerd in the amount of knowledge he has, as well as a geek enjoying the same hobbies as the other characters. However, where Howard really shines is the dork category. His entire focus is in the pursuit of women and sex. While normally this may not be considered a dork activity (in fact, many average people focus completely on the subjects), Wolowitz's approach is so completely backwards and socially inept, filled with the most inappropriate pick-up lines and misunderstanding of social etiquette around women, that he is firmly in the dork definition.

Penny - Though Penny is supposed to be the guy's average friend and help gets them through common interactions on The Big Bang Theory, she's exhibited a few tendencies of her own. Her intelligence is average, even naïve at times, so she's never considered a nerd. However, her extensive stuffed animal collection and dabbling in online gaming as her skirting in geek territory. Her family background and gravitation toward men while not being able to hold many female relationships could be considered dork-like behavior at times, though I suspect her psychology issues run a little deeper.

Final verdict: who is the bigger nerd, the bigger geek, or the bigger dork? Who cares? Watch the brilliant The Big Bang Theory and decide for yourself!