Dating Tips for Nerds, Dorks, and Weirdos

Let's be honest - deep down inside, we are all a little different. Every person has an inner-dork or an inner-weirdo. Some people are just a little dorkier than others. There is nothing wrong with a dork, a geek, a nerd, a weirdo, a freak, or whatever other label you want to give someone who walks to the beat of a different drum. Every single person, no matter how bizarre, is dateable.

Yes, I said it! There is truly someone for everyone. If you are a nerd or a dork, and you are reading this, yes, there is hope for you! You are completely dateable. Someone out there will love you for you. The secret is being the charming person you know you can be and then slowly unleashing the inner-dork. It is not being dishonest. You are putting your best foot forward and then, little by little, you can let your geeky side show.

The truth is, everyone is a little uncool. Some people just hide it better than others. But really, everyone wants to be able to show their inner-nerd to someone. You can be the person to bring that out in another person! You just can't expect to be a total dork on the first date or two. So let me give you some helpful first date tips.

This hub is assuming that you are on a first date with someone you do not know well. If you already know your date well, like say, the two of you play Dungeons and Dragons together all the time in your Mom's basement, don't hide your inner dork. The two of you are perfect for each other already. This is intended for blind dates, internet dating, bar pick-ups, etc.

So, let us first discuss some topics that should be avoided whenever possible during the first date. You can talk about these topics some, but too much detail can get a little dull.

Remember, less is more with the following topics:

• Your computer
• Your video games
• Cute stuff your cat can do
• The voices in your head
• Role playing games
• Chess
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Harry Potter
• Lord of the Rings
• Star Trek
• Star Wars
• The X Files
• Twilight
• Ghost shows of any type
• SciFi movies
• Strange odors of any type
• Living in your parents' basement
• Comic books
• Burping and farting
• Pi
• Algebra
• Scientific stuff only you know
• Your perfect GPA
• Chess
• Card games and board games
• Your high IQ
• Your high paying IT job and all the mundane daily details

I know what you are thinking, "If I can't discuss all these activities, what can I discuss?" First of all, there are a number of topics you can discuss such as: food, weather, other customers around you, the recession, school or work, and much more. Second, you can discuss some of the above listed topics, just don't bore your date with all of them. Slowly introduce a nerdy topic or two into the conversation. Here is one example:

Dorky guy: "I really like movies. What kind of movies do you like?"

Girl: "I like comedies and Sex in the City. What do you watch?"

Dorky guy: "I like action adventure movies and science fiction."

Now, one of two things are likely to happen. Your date will get excited because this is the moment she can introduce her geeky interests or she will shy away from this conversation. Here are the examples:

Positive response:

Girl: "Oh, I love the X Files movies. I used to watch the show all the time."

Dorky guy: "I watch the X Files, too! What was your favorite episode?"

Negative response:

Girl: "Oh. Hmmm. I think I would like to order a salad."

Dorky guy: "Mmmm... Yes, I think I will have a chicken sandwich."

If you get the positive response, that is excellent. Perhaps you can introduce another dorky topic or two. If she is a total geek, keep it going. This is a match made in heaven. However, don't give up if you got a negative response. Maybe she just doesn't like science fiction. That does not mean she does not have a dorky side. Give it another try. Here is another example:

Girl: "What do you do for fun?"

Dorky guy: "I like watching sports, going to concerts, and going to the movies."

Girl: "I went to a Taylor Swift concert last week. What was your last concert?"

Dorky guy: "I went to see Weird Al. He is amazing!"

Once again, this could go two different ways. Here are the options:

Positive response:

Girl: "Really? I've never seen Weird Al in concert. How was it?"

Negative response:

Girl: "I just remembered I promised I would give my sister a call. She isn't feeling well. Please excuse me for a moment."

OK, this girl is obviously not feeling what you are saying. Either she really is not into any geeky, fun stuff, or she is just not into you. Don't feel bad. There really is someone for everyone. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Also, there are plenty of cliches in this paragraph. I need to move on.

Don't feel bad about yourself. You know you are awesome and you've got the high video game scores to prove it. There are other chicks out there that will totally dig you. So go out there and start dating again.

P.S. Weird Al Yankovic concerts happen to be truly awesome. No matter who you are, you haven't lived until you've been to a Weird Al concert.