You might be inclined to think that nerds don’t really have a chance in the dating scene, but you’d be wrong. Thanks to recent pop culture icons and social phenomena like The Big Bang Theory and the dot-com boom, geek is the new chic. Nerds all over the world are finding it easier than ever to approach romantic partners and find dating success. Though “nerd dating” may be unconventional, it exists nonetheless. To celebrate this major victory for the world’s nerd populace, here are six love quotes for when a nerd takes Cupid’s arrow to the knee.
Words of Wisdom From Loveable Renegade Malcolm Reynolds
“You can know all the math in the ‘Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don’t love? She’ll shake you off just as sure as a turn in the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down…tells you she’s hurtin’ ‘fore she keens…makes her a home.”
The illustrious Nathan Fillion uttered this speech in his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s feature film Serenity, and although he was specifically talking about a spaceship, his words are applicable to another kind of ship—a relationship. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are; ultimately, it’s your commitment to the other person that will determine whether your relationship succeeds or fails. It’s your commitment that will make your relationship a home.
What Can You Say When Longing Has Changed You?
“When I say, ‘I love you,’ it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity what you are.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans will recognize this quote from the moment when Spike, ruthless vampire and murderer turned hero, tells Buffy, main protagonist in the fight against evil, what love means. He goes out of his way to explain to her that his love for her is not selfish. Being in a relationship with someone special is not something you strive for in order to find happiness; rather, happiness is a by-product of the relationship and of letting a remarkable person inspire you to change for the better.
Doctor Who Laments the Pain of Unrequited Love
Upon being asked what he hates, the Doctor replies, “I can’t stand burnt toast. I loathe bus stations—terrible places, full of lost luggage and lost souls. And then there’s unrequited love, and tyranny, and cruelty.”
Being a nerd in love can feel amazing when the other person feels the same way. Unrequited love, though, has a special kind of sting to it. Nerds are often sensitive souls, who feel deeply and who fear rejection. Not everyone understands our quirks, and it takes courage to freely own your identity, especially when you put yourself out on a limb for another person. Unrequited love feels like a condemnation of one’s personality, and, as the Doctor says, it’s very much akin to the taste of burnt toast.
Take It From Sarek: Love and Logic Do Not Mix
Spock: “Why did you marry her?”
Sarek: “It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time.”
The Vulcans of Star Trek are renowned for their ability to suppress emotions and live their lives purely through logic. However, for all its uses, logic is often quite useless when it comes to love. The unique and wonderful things that we enjoy about a person aren’t generally practical and rarely make sense. Though it’s often tempting to choose a partner based solely on logical criteria like compatibility and similar life goals, the roaring flames of infatuation can overpower an otherwise rational-thinking mind. As this quote demonstrates, not even a Vulcan is immune to love’s often-nonsensical nature.
George R. R. Martin Describes the Dark Side of Love
“Love is poison. A sweet poison, yes, but it will kill you all the same.”
Cersei Lannister of George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones iterates the destructive power of love with this quote. Love often means sacrifice, and although it can feel exhilarating, the fact is that you’re in a relationship with another person, who has their own quirks and neuroses and passions and goals. You cannot control what another person wants or feels, and you can rarely control how their actions will affect you. If you’re only in a relationship for selfish reasons, then it’s easy to leave when things get difficult, but did you ever really love the other person? Love does has a dark side, but if you’re in it for the long haul, you take the good and the bad in equal measure, because that’s what it means to love someone.
Relationships Are Great, but So Is Being Single
“The need to find another human being to share one’s life with has always puzzled me, maybe because I’m so interesting all by myself.”
Brought to you courtesy of The Big Bang Theory’s Dr. Sheldon Cooper, this quote on the puzzling nature of love is something many nerds will identify with. Although a relationship can be very rewarding, and many enter into one for the value of being close to another person, a number of people simply don’t understand the appeal. Nerds have the wondrous ability to fall in love with hobbies, ideas, and whole universes that can provide deep meaning and joy. Thus, it’s not always necessary for them to find a significant other—and that’s fine. This quote demonstrates that it’s okay to feel no drive to find romantic love. Love comes in many forms, including platonic and unconditional. If you’re a single nerd and proud of it, cherish your passions, hobbies, and friends—all are sources of fulfillment.
Being a nerd in love is a unique and wonderful experience. Like others, nerds can feel deep empathy and attachment, and a relationship with a nerd can provide great joy. Whether it’s platonic love, illogical love, insidiously toxic love, unrequited love or awe-inspiring, life-changing love, it’s an experience worth having. If you’re a nerd in love, make the most of this great feeling. Remember the old adage: “Plumbers are red, hedgehogs are blue; Press Start to join and make someone your Player Two.”
