Will Wheaton Reminds You Why It’s Awesome To Be A Nerd [Video]

Wil Wheaton gave an impassioned and beautiful speech at the Calgary Comic-Con back in May to a brand new mother and her baby daughter explaining what it’s like to be a nerd.

Wheaton, who stars as himself in CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, started by introducing himself, stated, “My name is Wil Wheaton. It’s 2013. And you’ve just recently joined us on planet Earth. So welcome. I’m an actor. I’m a writer. And I’m a Dad. Your mother asked me to tell you why it’s awesome to be a nerd. That’s an easy thing for me to do because I am a nerd.”

The actor then discussed his time as a nerd in high school, remarking, “For me, when I was growing up, being a nerd meant that I liked things that were a little weird. That took a lot of effort to appreciate and understand. It meant that I loved science, and that I loved playing board games, and reading books, and really understanding what went on in the world instead of just riding the planet through space.

Wheaton didn’t pull any punches too, explaining that he was bullied for his love of alternative things, stating, “When I was a little boy, people really teased us about that, and made us feel like there was something wrong with us for loving those things. Now that I’m an adult, I’m kind of a professional nerd, and the world has changed a lot. I think a lot of us have realized that being a nerd … it’s not about what you love. It’s about how you love it.

He also noted that it doesn’t matter what she focus’ on, proclaiming,” I don’t know what that’s going to be … and it doesn’t matter what it is. The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes you a nerd. The defining characteristic of [being a nerd] is that we love things. Some of us love Firefly and some of us love Game of Thrones, or Star Trek, or Star Wars, or anime, or games, or fantasy, or science fiction.”

Wheaton then concluded, “And listen: This is really important. I want you to be honest, honorable, kind. I want you to work hard. Because everything worth doing is hard. And I want you to be awesome, and I will do my very best to leave you a planet that you can still live on.” You can watch Wheaton’s entire diatribe above.

Are you a nerd?