One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “How do I talk about ‘$GEEKYSUBJECT’ with girls without turning them off?”
It’s not terribly surprising that geeks are afraid to talk about comics, video games, anime, what-have-you with the opposite sex; the inability to talk about anything other than geek subjects is a well-established stereotype. This is the sort of worry that leads geeks to try to hide in their gaming cupboard rather than letting their geek flag fly proudly. And don’t think that this is limited to guys; I have a hot nerd-girl friend who has told me about several well-meaning folks who told her “Quit talking about those comics or you’ll never get laid!”
So what’s a nerd to do?
Well, you just have to learn how to sell your hobbies. To start with, you need to quit looking at them as a negative. There’s nothing less attractive to anyone than someone who feels the need to apologize for something they’re in to. If I were to talk about how I like football in the same tone of voice that I might confess that I were into, say, diaper-play and Estonian midget-porn, is it any wonder that people would shuffle their feet uncomfortably and look around for any sociably acceptable excuse to escape the conversation?
Your hobbies are nothing to be ashamed of. You just need to learn how to explain them.
Any subject can be made interesting with passion and a little forethought. Even traffic engineering:
Ignore the fact that Tom Cruise is, well… Tom Cruise. Focus on what he’s saying and how he’s saying it. This is your role-model for learning how to talk about comics with the hot girl at the bar.
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This article originally appeared on Doctor Nerd Love
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