Do nerds live the "good life" later down the road, or is that just a myth?

College Confidential Community
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<p>It seems like someone should throw this out there; researchers have to be able to network too. Academia is very political. Sometimes it’s finding your next job, sometimes it’s securing more funding, but you aren’t just left alone with unlimited resources and brilliant peers to research whatever your heart desires, you have to have social skills and the ability to network just like every other person with career ambitions.</p>

<p>Source: someone whose family is split pretty evenly between academics and private-sector workers.</p>

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<p>Nope, nerds don’t live the good life. As already stated, social skills are a key trait in successful people. You may be the smartest man alive, but without the ability to convey your thoughts effectively, you are useless.</p>

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<p>To answer this, a definition of a nerd is in order.</p>

<p>If a nerd is someone without any social skills, then no. Nerds do not live the “good life.”</p>

<p>If a nerd is someone who cares about academics and technology, but can still hold a conversation and eye contact at the same time, then there is no reason a nerd can’t live the “good life.”</p>

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<p>^^ Perfect wisdom. Right there.</p>

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<h1>1 is pretty hopeless. In my experience (from people around me) #2 usually does much better than the norm.</h1>

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<p>I say hard workers live the good life later down the road.</p>

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<p>Its a myth.</p>

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<p>Well it depends on your definition of ‘nerd’.</p>

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<p>It depends on your definition of “living the good life.”</p>