#imagine complexly

(Also, Happy Esther Day! I LOVE ALL OF YOU! -Matt)

Nerdighteria is a relatively new thing for me.

I just recently got out of public school, and am doing work on my own, so I have had a lot of free time the past few months to spend wasting on the internet. Being able to watch John and Hank’s videos is a blessing in and of itself, because I needed the break, but I am incredibly grateful to have the insight of two incredibly intelligent and funny adults who have a hand in so much that I am interested in.

Crash Course has made me feel like my brain is not in fact deteriorating at a faster rate than normal and that I might actually be learning and retaining things that are important to me.

It’s refreshing to hear about the world outside of my bedroom from people who are empathetic and who do not flaunt their knowledge, intelligence, and privilege like those who do not have those things are less than they are.

Very few adults in my life live and treat younger people this way. I’m very glad I discovered this micro-culture and I hope to explore it further.

-Kim

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Two particular things that Hank and John have stressed throughout their videos have affected me greatly. The first is the Law of Compound Nerdfighting—that 100 Nerdfighters as a group can do things that 100 Nerdfighters alone could not do—and the second is the phrase “imagine others complexly”.

The Law of Compound Nerdfighting has been a huge motivation for me as a leader in my college Nerdfighter club, as having dozens of Nerdfighters in a single place for 8 months out of the year represents an amazing opportunity to decrease world-suck.

Additionally, everything is better when you do it with Nerdfighters!

Imagining people complexly is a surprisingly difficult thing for me to do without consciously reminding myself of it, but doing so is more than worth it. It reminds me not to oversimplify other people in my head or to form conceptions of who they are off of how others portray them, and allows me to understand them better. It has helped me make and keep friends as well.

I would have to say that both John and Hank have had a profound impact on my life.

And I mean it when I say profound. I literally would not be the same person I am today if I hadn’t found the stupid Nerdfighter workout video in the summer of 2010.

John was the first author that I ever was able to imagine as a person, or as he would put it “imagine complexly”, before then they had always been intangible people whose pictures appeared on the last few pages of books.

John was the funny, dorky guy who I could relate to, both through his text and through another media platform.

Nerdfighteria, and it’s little niche online was what opened my eyes to the possibility that “uncool” things could be cool. I didn’t have to force myself to watch American Idol just to fit in, and it was totally okay for me to enjoy Doctor Who (even if it caused incessant teasing).

And to be honest, it took a couple more years for me to appreciate Hank just as much, but I’m so glad I did. At first his love of science, space, and technology were things I couldn’t relate to, I was comfortable and happy in my little bubble of YA fiction, but after a year or so of semi-ignoring his rants about that-stuff-I-didn’t-identify-with, I actually paid attention and (excuse my language) freaked the fuck out.

Somehow, this weird nerdy guy on my computer screen had actually made me care about science. That had literally never happened before.

And I’m not going to kid myself and say I’m inspired to become an astrophysicist or something now, but because of Hank I’ve been able to relate to things that I had previously dismissed right away. And maybe earlier, when I said profound, it was a little much for what they did, but I know that I would honestly not be the same person who I am today without ever having seen one of their videos.

Both John and Hank’s generosity, dedication, and kindness have helped me to realize that these are important traits to develop in myself and that even if I’m uncomfortable with them they help us grow to be better people.

When I found Nerdfighteria about a year and a half ago, I has so happy to find a group of people that cared about many of the things that I cared about and made me proud to be a nerd. The Vlogbrothers make me laugh, but at the same time think deeply about different things and I don’t know what my life would be like without them.

Nerdfighteria, to me, is an example of the changes we not only want to see in the world, but the changes that we can make. Yes, John's books are fantastic (Paper Towns made me question just how a middle aged man who grew up in the south could perfectly understand the emotional troubles of a 20 something girl in upper Michigan) and Hank's songs are funny, but, to me, Hank and John are just the jumping off point.

They are the catalyst for so much good and positivity and love that has come from Nerdfighters. Nerdfighteria inspires me to make a difference and, more importantly, shows me that I can.

John and Hank has taught me to imagine others complexly. They have taught me the value of a single person’s actions, and the value of young people’s involvement

Hank has taught me that a quark is a fundamental constituent of matter, and John has taught me that a life doesn’t have to be long to be good.

John taught me that honey badgers are awesome, but scary, while Hank taught me why the sky is blue.

Hank and John taught me that it is okay to be myself, and for that I am immensely grateful.

The Nerdfighter community has been such an inspiration to me and it's been a joy and a privilege to be a part of this community. I've been a Nerdfighter since mid-2009.

Hank and John helped me get through my university years without going insane.

I love the balanced mix between entertaining and serious topics that they both provide. They are extremely entertaining as well as thought provoking and educational.

Every time I watch a Vlogbrothers video I am encouraged to imagine the world complexly and think and learn independently. It's amazing to be part of such a loving community that values the same things that I value: education, self-improvement, kindness, and understanding towards others.

Whether I'm in a good mood or bad, Vlogbrothers videos always put a smile on my face and lift the mood, whether it's a video explaining the political situation in another country, Question Tuesday, or watching a Vlogbrothers geek out over something he loves.

I love this community; it's been an enormously positive influence on my life, and I look forward to the amazing and wonderful things I know this community will accomplish in the future. DFTBA!

The Vlogbrothers have challenged me. They made me think about things I never would've thought about - science, math, history, literature. That last one, literature, I've thought about extensively, but even here John and Hank have made me challenge my most base beliefs.

I always thought young adult literature was just a stepping stone, but now I see it as a medium where ideas about life, love, identity, gender, sexuality, symbolism, society, and more can all be explored and redefined.

I like the idea that "the truth defies simplicity." I have seen this proven in so many ways. John and Hank make me think, make me question the assumptions that life throws at us. They make me step back and consider, "Am I examining this person/subject/study/thing complexly?"

And a complex understanding is a more complete understanding - though of course, I now realize that no understanding will ever really be complete. There will always be mysteries, but I like that. I just really appreciate the way John and Hank don't underestimate young people.

We are capable.

We are smart.

We are brilliant.

We have limitless potential.

We are a force to be reckoned with.

This is so different from how everyone else seems to see our generation. The general consensus is that teenagers are vapid, shallow, stupid, incapable of complex thought. But we are more than technology, we are more than the phrases we adopt and invent, we are more than what people expect us to be.

John and Hank have helped empower an entire generation, and as for me, I plan to carry that on to the next generation. I think they have not only been a positive impact on me personally, but on the entire world. Maybe they aren't always right, maybe I don't agree with everything they say, but I agree with the message:

Be awesome, keep thinking, keep trying, don't accept the simple truth - imagine it more complexly. So thanks to them, I am a better thinker, and I am a better person - a person who never forgets to be awesome. Thanks!