Alexandra Robbin’s The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: An Analysis

In a world where people try to conform to the normal some might think being an outcast is undesirable despite that it can help one be successful. In Alexandra Robbin’s The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth she follows seven high school students and uses them as examples of stereotypes such as “nerd” or “prep”. A point that she brings up in the book is that being an outcast could mean that one would have to deal with bullying and not have many friends during high school. While this may not seem positive, the reason that being an outcast is okay and actually beneficial is because the outcasts are better prepared for life in the real world.

The main reasons people tend to think that being a part of the crowd in high school should be what they want to be is because they feel satisfied and included being a part of the trend. Being a part of a group usually means that you have friends, which is good because more than likely they share the same views as you. With these friends you can collaborate on things such as homework or other activities. Having connections with multiple people can also help lead to job interviews and positions which is great asset to have out in the real world. A real life example of this is my when my father was interviewing for jobs in one of the interviews he and the interviewer made a connection that they both played racquet ball which in the end landed him another interview and eventually ended up in him getting the job. While people in groups have benefits outcasts have even better preparation for life after high school just by being different.

While being an outcast may seem unattractive when looking at it without much thought being different actually does hold rewards for those who stand out. In today’s economy jobs are becoming more and more scarce which means when you walk in to an interview they are going to ask you, what makes you different? What makes outcast different is there thought process, they possess certain qualities such as freethinking, resilience, and authenticity, all of which are traits employers are looking for. These are traits that many celebrities have because they were outcasts in school. Stars such as Taylor Swift and Zac Efron were both outsiders in high school and now live a life of fame and fortune. When they are excluded from the group outcasts learn to think for themselves which is another vital skill to have later on in life. Without a set of trends to follow they can learn to be themselves which is how they can not only get a job but make quality friends later on life.

In The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth Robbins makes it very clear how we should respond to the mistreatment of outcasts for both students and schools as a whole. Students that are currently in high school need to give everyone a chance before they label someone off of their appearance because chances are they have more to them than just a stereotypical label. Students can also befriend someone who does not have any friends because even on friend can make a big difference. As for schools it important that the faculty treat all students no matter what group they are apart equally. This may seem like a no brainer but Robbins presents many examples of how the popular kids are favored giving them the false impression that they run the school. Teachers can also reach out to students who are alone, even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal it can make a huge difference to the kid to know that someone cares.

As a country that is following behind in mathematics and science it is important that the outcasts are welcomed into society if this nation wants to move forward. A quote from the richest man in the world is “be nice to nerds because chances are you’ll be working for one” which sums up why it good to be different. Standing out may seem unfortunate at first but as many have found it is the path to success later on in life.