Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

1257 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of peer pressure on teens in high school

In high school most students receive a label it seems inevitable, but what each teen does with the label is up to him or her. The label a student receives and sticks with him or her will either make or break them. Some people go through life trying to live up to the label that they were given and some spend all of their time trying to run away from it or prove it false every chance they get. What most don’t understand is that they are the one who decides who they want to be or who they will become in a way each person labels themselves. Some people are given everything in life and some have to work extremely hard to get what they want. The students who are wealthier seem to get more positive labels. To me how hard a student works will play …show more content…

Fridman states that “Children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates, become social outcasts.”(Fridman) He also states that In America “average professional ballplayers are much more respected and better paid than faculty members of the best …show more content…

Education,” by Russell Baker he states that many students at a young age are taught to judge or are judged. They learn young if they are dumb or smart. Baker mentioned how students learn at a young age to judge based on skin color. He says “Fathers and mothers may demonstrate to the child the social cohesion that can be built on shared hatred by demonstrating their dislike for the children whose pigmentations displeases them.”(baker) I see that as the sad truth. Children get old enough to tell a difference in color and at that point they realize that they are different. I went to the water park with my friend Heather and her daughter ,Eden, and as we were swimming Eden saw a little girl who was black and she told the little girl that they should play together so we took Eden and the other little girl to the kids pool with the little girl’s mother and Eden came back and told us that her and the little girl were best friends. That evening when we left the water park Eden told heather and me that she was told in Sunday school that skin color didn’t matter and she was going to be friends with everyone. Baker said that children are taught young to judge. I think that our culture needs to teach children to love everyone despite their

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of America Needs Its Nerds

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    He states, “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” The rest of the piece does not address this crucial claim and yet it still supports the overarching theme of rejecting intellectual pursuit. Americans are known for their preference of physical prowess over intellectual pursuit and Fridman acknowledges that however briefly. It is likely he chose to touch on the subject for only a moment because a further analysis would derail the purpose of the passage.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Fridman's Nerds

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    For example, Fridman compares athletes to nerds in his quote, “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized.” Fridman is explaining how kids who prefer to do academic activities compared to playing sports, later become social outcasts. He also compares other countries views of their nerds to how America views our nerds. For instance, Fridman explains to the reader how in other nations, “.... A kid who studies hard is lauded and held up an an example to other students.” While in America, athletics are held above academics on any given day. Also, Fridman uses elite professions in other countries to elite professions in America. In other countries, jobs such as being a professor in a university are one of the most rewarding jobs one can have. But in America, Fridman states, “Average professional ball players are much more respected and better paid than faculty members of the best universities.” Overall, Fridman is saying that anti-intellectualism in America is a problem and it needs to

    Read More

  • Warren Hartenstine's College Athletes Should Not Be Paid?

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    If there’s one thing we dread in the summer more than the heat, it’s the afflicting sentiment that surrounds oneself when one is inhibited from experiencing the thrills of football for six long and gruesome months. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football is a part of many Americans’ Saturdays, but to fewer does it mean their lives. Recently coming under debate, many sporting fans and college athletes believe that players should be paid more than just tuition, room, board, and books. Two articles on this issue that bring up valid points worth discussing are Paul Marx’ “Athlete’s New Day” and Warren Hartenstine’s “College Athletes Should Not Be Paid.” From these articles I have found on the basis of logical,

    Read More

  • Why Are All Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeterum Summary

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    People of different ethnic backgrounds are influenced by both cultural and societal normalities to want to naturally return to their own ethnic groups. In Beverly Daniel Tatum’s book “Why Are All Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Tatum tries to explain why in even racially diverse schools, people of the same race tend to gravitate toward one another causing racial separation. Tatum claims that people of the same race, particularly black kids, are likely to turn toward people who understand their shared perspective. Although Tatum effectively uses a conversational tone and emotionally charged words, her overuse of biased interviews and experiences forces the reader to question the validity of her portrayal of race relations.

    Read More

  • The Salary Cap Should Be Abolished in Sports

    2015 Words  | 5 Pages

    When looking into the history of our culture, there are many subtopics that fall under the word, “history.” Topics such as arts and literature, food, and media fall into place. Among these topics reside sports. Since the beginning of time, sports have persisted as an activity intertwined with the daily life of people. Whether it is a pick-up game of football in the backyard, or catching an evening game at the local stadium, sports have become the national pastime. According to Marcus Jansen of the Sign Post, more specifically, baseball is America’s national pastime, competing with other sports (Jansen 1). Providing the entertainment that Americans pay top dollar for, live the role models, superstars, and celebrities that put on a jersey as their job. As said in an article by Lucas Reilly, Americans spend close to $25.4 billion dollars on professional sports (Reilly 4). The people that many children want to be when they grow up are not the firefighters or astronauts told about in bed time stories. These dream jobs or fantasies have become swinging a bat or tossing a football in front of millions of screaming fans. When asked why so many dream of having such job, the majority will respond with a salary related answer. In today’s day and age, the average athlete is paid more than our own president. The cold hard facts show that in professional sports, the circulation of money is endless. Certain teams in professional baseball and football are worth over millions of dollars. Consequently, the teams who are worth more are able to spend more. The issue that arises with this philosophy is virtually how much more? League managers, team owners and other sports officials have sought out a solution to the surfacing problem. Is it fair to let...

    Read More

  • Leonid Fridman's America Needs Its Nerds

    481 Words  | 1 Pages

    What is a geek? A geek is “a street performer who… bites off heads of live chickens.” In the passage “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman, Fridman argues why “America needs its nerds.” He begins by illustrating how the “intellectually curious” and “academically serious” are ostracized. From there he displays in the open why “nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized.” Fridman develops his argument by displaying why “nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” and comparing the U.S with other countries across the globe on an intellectual platform.

    Read More

  • Racial Autobiography Essay

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even in our preschool years, we are exposed to misinformation about people different from ourselves.” From an early age, we start to pick up certain stereotypes of different races other than our own. We over hear these stereotypes from everywhere. Being in such a diverse environment and having attended very diverse school’s I am aware of all the different stereotypes but I learned to not judge anyone based on what is said about them. People who do not live in a culturally diverse area may be ethnocentric. Tatum also suggests that “the unexamined prejudices of the parents are passed on to the children. It is not our fault, but it Is our responsibility to interrupt this cycle.” Prejudices of other races based on what your family believes is something that should not be carried on because it is ignorant to assume certain things about someone’s race that you may in reality know nothing about. I agree with this quote because every race in some way will almost always feel superior to another race. Instead of feeling this sense of ethnocentrism and agreeing with the prejudices that were told from our generations we should be more open to learning about other races. What drew my attention reading Tatum’s first chapter was the fact that she addressed stereotype and

    Read More

  • Anne Moody Civil Rights Movement

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prejudice begins with justifying something as being different based on personal experience and how one was raised. During Moody’s childhood in Coming of Age in Mississippi, she highlights how people were taught to hate each other by judging the difference in skin color. Upon arriving at the movie theatre, Moody and her siblings followed their white friends into an area prohibited to blacks. They were not allowed to return to the movie theatre after getting caught by their mother and her white friends stopped playing in front of Moody’s house. The author states, “Now all of a sudden they were white, and their whiteness made them better me. I now realized that not only were they better than me because they were white, but everything they owned and everything connected with them was better than what was available to me” (34). Moody’s siblings and white friends did not know that they were different based on their skin color until that moment. Her autobiography demonstrates that one is not born to hate someone, it is a learned

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

    144 Words  | 1 Pages

    In American society, a person's ability to make a touchdown or dunk a basketball is valued at a higher standard than one’s ability to succeed academically. In “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman, Fridman criticizes society for demeaning the people who seek knowledge by using derogatory words. Through his critical tone, descriptive examples, and rhetorical questions, Fridman argues over the condescending views that society has over the academically advanced.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

    481 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.” - Charles J. Sykes. This quote relates to “ America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman, by the way they both see how society doesn’t value its nerds. Fridman and Sykes both know nerds or intellectuals aren't valued as high as someone who is popular or an athlete. Fridman develops his argument by showing how society snubs nerds through childhood and as being an adult.

    Read More

  • Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    Furthering his disappointment in the structure of the United States social values, Fridman compares the lifestyle of an average athlete and that of a top class professor. Presenting the failure of America to view "university professorships [as] the most prestigious and materially rewarding positions", despite the respect and greater pay the sub-par athlete

    Read More

  • Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    Students have been taught from an early age that you can either conform to society, or be an outcast. As Fridman discovered, “Even at a prestigious school like Harvard, anti-intellectualism is rampant: Many students are ashamed to admit, even to their friends, how much they study”. At a school that takes impressive grades to get accepted into, students are afraid of what their peers think. Instead of being proud of the hard work and dedication to education, they are ashamed and do not want to tell other people about their hard work. They are afraid of being outcasts. Many students believe that being the star quarterback, or on the varsity team is more important than any education due to the acceptance from their peers and the attention. It does not have to be this way though, “In East Asia, a kid who studies hard is lauded and held up as an example to other students”. The child is not chastised by his or her peer, but they are envied and celebrated. They are inspired to keep up the good work, to improve and to make an impact on the

    Read More

  • Student Athletes and Academics

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    For decades there has been a debate on student athletes and their drive to succeed in the classroom. From the very beginning of organized college level athletics, the goal to want to succeed in athletics has forced students to put academics to the back burner. In spite of the goal to want to succeed over a hundred years of attempts to check limits of intercollegiate athletic programs on colleges' academic standards still seems to struggle to this day. This brings to surface one of the most asked questions in sports, “What effect does college sports have on academics and economics?” Herbert D. Simons, Derek Van Rheenen, and Martin V. Covington, authors of “Academic Motivation and the Student Athlete” researched the topic on whether athletics and academics benefit each other. Bryan Flynn, the author of “College Sports vs. Academics” poses the question “Should institutions of higher learning continue to involve themselves in athletic programs that often turn out to be virtual arms races for recruiting talented players who bring big money and prestige, but put academics to the back burner?” Although both authors agree that sports have an impact on an athlete’s academics, the focus of their argument differs.

    Read More

  • Red Ink: Try Using a Different Color for Grading School Papers

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Research is finding that labels kids are given in school become fixed on them, like tattoos on their foreheads, and stick with them for the rest of their lives, often choosing the path the student will follow in life. Students perceived to do poorly, and are labeled as below-average students, tend to live out that label. They see their failing grades and “realize” they aren’t as good as the rest and then giv...

    Read More

  • Prejudice And Discrimination: Poem Analysis

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Children have to be compelled to be instructed from infancy that folks of different races and nationalities

    Read More

More about Leonid Fridman's 'America Needs Its Nerds'

Open Document