Picked Last For Kickball—and Loving It
The hugest nerd can have a social life, a marriage, even a job that involves human interaction. The trick is to apply brains and focus to the disciplines popular kids master without thinking.
Figure out the rules of socializing. Small talk, flirting, and job interviews all follow conversational templates. They aren't taught in school, but if you study them like a set of formulae, you'll find they're not rocket science.
Put yourself in others' shoes. Nerds have trouble getting out of their own heads. Instead of expecting others to bow to pure reason as computers do, figure out how they're feeling. If you take an interest in others' emotions, they respond better.
Stand up for yourself, but remain calm. If people throw insults at you, don't argue with them. Act composed, belittling them instead of engaging them. Nobody is going to respect you for being logical.
