[smyyqthq] Nerds are the salvation of the world

I claim: It's impossible to have a useful discussion about a contentious topic unless at least one party is a nerd about that topic.  To that end, nerds are the salvation of the world, and we should seek them out.

What defines a nerd?  It's not necessarily expertise, but a certain mindset of treating a topic as an intellectual curiosity, taking pleasure in intellectual growth about the topic -- it's not about your side being right; it's beyond right and wrong.  A defining characteristic about a nerd is he or she has spent a great deal of personal time thinking about all sides the topic.  Consequently, nerds can sometimes (often?) be distinguished by how they speak about a topic: the depth and complexity flows smoothly off the tongue.  I noticed Hugh Hefner's quick comment about Miley Cyrus reveals he is a nerd on the topic of American mores about sexuality.

There is a sharp distinction between nerd and fanboy; while superficially similar in level of knowledge, they are practically opposites.  The distinction can be clearly seen in sports fandom: a nerd follows the game for the love of the game, a fanboy for the love of a team or athlete.  Baseball statistics.

Is a person's tendency to be a nerd or to be a fanboy inherent among all topics?  Is so, why did you become that way?  Can you change it within yourself?

Should our leaders possess this quality, or just respect it in their advisors?

While it is possible to be a nerd about any topic, for illustrative purposes, consider the traditionally designated nerdiest of nerdy: imagine an intense debate between a Star Trek nerd and a Star Wars nerd.  They have this debate not try to convince the other that their side is better, but in hopes of comparing the two in a way not done before, to examine a subtle aspect that can only occur with complementary deep knowledge, to frame the debate in a new way.  Implicitly the debate is for intellectual growth, for themselves, for civilization.

Now, compare such a debate with the intense debates of social issues we've had in the political arena recently: something is horribly wrong.