Contraxioms of Geeks & Non-Geeks
It is well known that most geeks are not an easy group of people to deal with. In fact, due to the contraxioms between geeks and non-geeks, there are a multitude of websites that inform people how to manage geeks properly. Furthermore, there are many contraxioms that you should be aware of, so let’s get to them.
For starters, there is a fine line of difference between the ideas of what “work” truly is. For most geeks, work is straight up solving problems. Many geeks feel like their only job is to find solutions for present day problems. However, the non-geek sees work as a vision. A visions for the future is what gets non-geeks motivated to come to work in the morning. Non-geeks are constantly thinking about the future, but in the work place, true geeks could care less about what the future holds.
When it comes to the word “future”, many geeks may cringe in suspense. For them, it is seen as a big looming cloud of the unknown. The future is by no means completely predictable, this is what scares geeks. However, non-geeks believe that the future can be molded and that proper preparation can influence it. The big difference here is that geeks see the obstacles ahead, and non-geeks prefer to ignore them and channel in their wishful thinking. Personally, I think about the future all of the time and it scares me silly. No one knows for sure what it holds, and that drives me batty. Try to have a conversation with a geek about the future. You may receive this look below.
Another view that is hazy between geeks and non-geeks is that of “language.” Geeks are known to have no filter when it comes to speaking with others. So, it is no surprise that fact checking interruptions occur in almost every conversation. Geeks are very factual and they expect facts to be thrown into conversation, If not, they will pressure you to find some or takeover and interrupt. For tips on chatting with geeks, click here.
“Lying” in the workplace is seen as pure evil in the mind of a geek. They see it as a very bad thing to do. Exaggerations, opinions, and estimates are all seen as lies in the eyes of a geek. They only want to know what you can prove is completely true. Lying for non-geeks is different. They see lying as an impolite gesture usually covering an excuse. Or, it is sometimes used as a rhetorical device to direct a conversation.
Most non-geeks see “wanting” as a big player in the role of decision making. Desires help managers keep employees in check. Satisfied employee desires can lead to a healthier work environment. However, geeks are very different. They see wants as completely irrelevant to the decision making process. Some geeks find desires and wants to be a sign of immaturity. Almost like a mother bribing her children to do chores with buying them toys they want. I was able to pull this one over on my mother all of the time. There is no bribing a full fledged geek, however.
Conclusively, it is easy to see the differences between the minds of geeks and non-geeks. I only named a few, however, there are many more. Challenge yourselves to communicate with geeks and try to understand them better. In order to feel comfortable, look up ways to help manage them and converse with them. Managing geeks can be very hard. Please remember to keep these contraxioms in mind when trying to do so.