I don’t think the boundaries of “nerd” are important to the mistake. If I were a and placed zero value on appearing as anything other than a , that would have been a huge mistake. I didn’t realize how much appearance and mannerisms had pigeonholed me until after I changed them.
That’s the point. Looking like a non-nerd sounds like selling non-apples to me. One possible way to “look like a non-nerd” is to look like a ’80 skateboarder, but that wouldn’t achieve your actual goal, so what you’re actually trying to do is more complicated than that.
And what do you mean by “nerd” in the first place? Someone with a very high IQ? Someone with poor social skills? Someone who studies or works in a hard science or maths? Someone who couldn’t play football halfway decently to save their life? Someone who is into certain particular games and works of fiction such as (say) Dungeons and Dragons or Star Trek? Only a few of those things would I want to advertise the opposite of via appearance. (Your age, gender and social circle are also relevant to that.)
I don’t think the boundaries of “nerd” are important to the mistake. If I were a and placed zero value on appearing as anything other than a , that would have been a huge mistake. I didn’t realize how much appearance and mannerisms had pigeonholed me until after I changed them.
That’s the point. Looking like a non-nerd sounds like selling non-apples to me. One possible way to “look like a non-nerd” is to look like a ’80 skateboarder, but that wouldn’t achieve your actual goal, so what you’re actually trying to do is more complicated than that.
And what do you mean by “nerd” in the first place? Someone with a very high IQ? Someone with poor social skills? Someone who studies or works in a hard science or maths? Someone who couldn’t play football halfway decently to save their life? Someone who is into certain particular games and works of fiction such as (say) Dungeons and Dragons or Star Trek? Only a few of those things would I want to advertise the opposite of via appearance. (Your age, gender and social circle are also relevant to that.)
I consider this a successful taboo of what you meant, and it was quite different from the first thing I thought of when I read the word “nerd”.