50 Nerd Quotes Celebrating What’s Really Cool

By Clifton Sankofa

School Leader, Language Arts Expert & Master Quote Curator

Published December 16, 2022

These nerd quotes prove that the nerds’ revenge is indeed upon us.

When many of us were growing up, being a nerd meant being targeted for teasing and bullying.

It meant being considered “not cool” by your peers.

It meant being relegated to the lower social hierarchy in school or public.

Tell us which nerd quote resonated most with you in the comment section below.

What are the benefits of reading these nerd quotes?

Things have changed drastically since then.

Actor and writer Jordan Peele realized this transition when he noted, “Obama was the best thing for black nerds everywhere. Finally, we had a role model. Before Obama, we basically had Urkel.”

American actress Kristen Bell also noticed this change, sharing, “I love nerds. Comic-Con junkies are the tastemakers of tomorrow. Isn’t that funny? The tables have turned.”

Today nerds make famous some of the most popular movies, shows, and content.

Star Wars is as popular as ever, and shows like Game of Thrones continue to produce successful spin-offs.

Top 10 nerd quotes

1. “I am a nerd among nerds.” ― Kelly Sue DeConnick

2. “In fact, the world needs more nerds.” ― Ben Bernanke

3. “A lot of nerds aren’t aware they’re nerds.” ― Patton Oswalt

4. “There’s a lot of closeted nerds out there.” ― Simon Helberg

5. “Nerd life is so much better than regular life.” ― John Green

6. “Nerds are far more interesting humans in later life.” ― Alyson Hannigan

7. “Eventually, the nerds and the geeks will have their day.” ― Judd Apatow

8. “So nerds rule.” ― Christopher Moore, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

9. “I want to be the poster girl for engineers and computer nerds.” ― Alessandra Torresani

10. “Charm is the ability to insult people without offending them; nerdiness the reverse.” ― Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Funny nerd quotes

11. “Star Wars is for nerds and virgins.” ― Colby Covington

12. “Haven’t you heard? Nerds are cool now.” ― Jen Wilde, Queens of Geek

13. “All the geniuses and greats are really just nerds with experience.” ― A.D. Posey

14. “I write about nerds who go the extra mile and become rock stars.” ― Ben Mezrich

15. “I hope history remembers me as a cool scientist, not a nerdy one!” ― Steven Magee

16. “One thing nerds like to argue about is what nerds are allowed to argue about.” ― Adam Rogers

17. “I’ve gone from being bullied by jocks as a kid to being bullied by nerds as an adult.” ― Chris Hardwick

18. “I go to comic shops because I like to just listen to nerds arguing about nerd stuff to relax.” ― Pendleton Ward

19. “I like people who live in the world of data, even if they’re sometimes a little, um, unusual.”
― Elizabeth Warren, This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America’s Middle Class

20. “Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.” ― Charles J. Sykes, Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write or Add

Nerd quotes about love and relationships

21. “Brainy is the new sexy.” — Irene Adler, Sherlock

22. “Being a nerd is not about what you love; it’s about the way you love it.” — Wil Wheaton

23. “Obviously, I don’t have a high IQ, but I’ve always liked nerds and quirky guys.” — Kaley Cuoco

24. “You can date whoever you want, but you should marry the nerds and the good guys.” — Sheryl Sandberg

25. “NASA scientists have discovered a new form of life. Unfortunately, it won’t date them either.” — Stephen Colbert

26. “Don’t we all know why nerds do what they do? To get money, which leads to popularity, which leads to girls.” — Zadie Smith

27. “I find myself wondering if we should actually engage in coitus at least one time in our relationship.” — Sheldon to Amy, The Big Bang Theory

28. “I’m someone who loves romance. I always have loved it. Most people who grew up as nerds, as I was, surprisingly, have loved romance.” — Mindy Kaling

29. “Ah,” said Magnus. “Nerd love. It is a beautiful thing, while also being an object of mockery and hilarity for those of us who are more sophisticated.” — Cassandra Clare, City of Lost Souls

30. “Someone who I would describe as a ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ is a person who loves something to its greatest extent and then looks for other people who love it the same way so they can celebrate loving it together.” — Wil Wheaton

Inspirational nerd quotes for everyone

31. “I try to stay away from calling people nerds or whatever because I’ve got my own fetishes and interests.” — Kyle Kinane

32. “One of the magical things about kindness is that it’s what we nerds call a ‘happiness aggregator.’” — Daniel Lubetzky

33. “The coolest person to yourself is yourself, and we’re like nerds, and we love to be smart, and that’s okay.” — Jacob Batalon

34. “In society at large, nerds are law-abiding, caring, fundamentally good folk who keep the wheels of civilization grinding.” — Alexandra Petri

35. “Obama was the best thing for black nerds everywhere. Finally, we had a role model. Before Obama, we basically had Urkel.” — Jordan Peele

36. “We have to change the way people look at scientists. Today, they are the nerds, the geeks. Instead, we want some of the cool kids to say, ‘Hey, this is all right.’” — Mae Jemison

37. “Computer science is not just for smart ‘nerds’ in hoodies coding in basements. Coding is extremely creative and is an integral part of almost every industry.” — Reshma Saujani

38. “I don’t want my kids to be on the streets period. I want my kids to be nerds. I want them to be book smart or playing sports – I don’t want them to know nothing about the streets.” — Lil Durk

39. “A lot of people talk about video games as something nerds do. But we look at it as a way to connect with people. It’s something that’s positive, that brings people together.” — Kofi Kingston

40. “Nerds get caught up in minutiae because there is a tremendous and fulfilling sense of control in understanding every single detail of a thing more than any other living creature.” — Chris Hardwick

Different types of nerds quotes

41. “Writers are nerds.” – Shane Black

42. “A lot of comedy writers are definitely introverted nerds.” — Megan Amram

43. “Jazz musicians, in a way, are nerds. We are so in our world.” — Jan Vogler

44. “I think it goes without saying that a lot of big horror fans are just nerds and geeks.” — Kirk Hammett

45. “In politics, almost all of us are nerds, so that’s just a given… but we’re cool nerds.” — Jonathan Krohn

46. “The tech industry used to be home to a disproportionate number of misfits and weirdos. Geeks. Nerds.” — Jon Evans

47. “Metal guys are huge nerds. A good percentage of them are either horror or sci-fi or comic book or fantasy nerds.” — Scott Ian

48. “My theater nerd world and my comic friend world are colliding… That’s the thing that I was nerdy about, was theatre.” — Tom Lenk

49. “Black women are the most passionate commentators, and even as black female geeks and nerds, they are rarely acknowledged.” — Cheo Hodari Coker

50. “I was an athlete, but I was also a nerd. And so I didn’t really fit in with the jocks because I was a nerd, and I didn’t fit in with the nerds because I was a jock.” — Trevor Bauer

How has being a nerd changed?

Don’t be surprised if you see a modern-day nerd in excellent physical shape smiling with high self-esteem.

The aesthetics of the nerd have changed.

Gone are the days when nerds were stereotyped as unathletic weaklings who wore glasses and pocket protectors.

Today, being a nerd is cool.

Nerds are at the forefront of industries that are trailblazing new paths.

Tech, cyber security, data protection, video gaming, and content creation are all fields in which nerds excel.

Comedian Chris Hardwick addresses the power of being a nerd, noting that “Nerds get caught up in minutiae because there is a tremendous and fulfilling sense of control in understanding every single detail of a thing more than any other living creature.”

Knowledge is power, and nerds have made it cool to want to know more.

Nerds have transformed from being at the bottom of the pop culture totem pole to being purveyors of culture for the collective.