Sushanth Singh Rajput and the under-rated "Nerd" culture in our society

Lately, the internet has seen a lot of mourning over the death of the Bollywood actor Sushanth Singh Rajput. It was quite shocking that he took his life at such a young age. The reports said he was suffering from mental illness and some other controversies were put up with his death.

I, just like any other, wondered how such a successful, as well as an intelligent person, will come into this miserable situation. I just wanted to know more of him as a person. I came to know he was an engineering student and then dropped out of college to pursue his passion for acting. Then I happened to see his social accounts where I was able to see these amazing things. He was not only a great actor but a very intellectual person. He was so passionate about science as he was about acting. Out of his passion for science, he bought land on the moon(I think no one in the entire Bollywood has done that). He also bought this huge telescope to look upon stars(for which many mocked him). Moreover, Sushant's bucket-list made me admire him more.

 

The thing is, that I was thinking how did a person like him end up in Bollywood?

I'm not against films or carrying your passion over it. But what if we had the same passion and love for being an astronaut? If so, I believe, Sushanth would have been alive now.

What I'm trying to say is, take the life of Sushant. He was very passionate about science. Yet, he chooses acting over being an engineer. Well, in the end, he got cornered for being an outsider. The actor was alienated from the industry which led to a state of depression and then suicide(not confirmed yet). Now that's sad!

Our society didn't teach us to endorse our passion for learning. Rather than looking up to stars, we looked upon the "stars" on the big screen. And what inspiration are we getting from that?

We are intoxicated about gossips about celebrities and their life when we can actually do something better for society. 

We should look up to great scientists and engineers.

We are labelled, a generation who is craving for instant gratification and fame. I think this is where the film industry utilises us. Anyone will do anything to become a movie star. People who do become celebrities, for money and fame, eventually realise that money and fame is not the definition of success and happiness in life. Sushanth had also said this in one of his speech. I guess every celebrity thinks of fame as a curse once they achieve it.

 

Read: Sushant Singh Rajput on Why Money & Recognition Are Not Success

So, why is this have to do with the nerds?

A nerd is a person, seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. 

When we hear nerd, we have that one kid in our high school who wears those thick glasses and oily hair, always accompanied by books.

I have an obsession with nerds. However, I think I'm not 'one'. But I wish.

Lately, I came across an article that was published in Medium "How a TV Sitcom Triggered the Downfall of Western Civilization". It was about how the popular sitcom Friends' character Ross was under-rated just because he was a nerd. 

"A computer programmer from Seattle is doing more to alleviate world poverty, hunger, and disease through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation than any other person in America right now. Nerds create vaccines. Nerds engineer bridges and roadways. Nerds become teachers and librarians. We need those obnoxiously smart people because they make the world a better place. We can’t have them cowering before a society that rolls their eyes at every word they say. Ross needs better friends"

Yes, every innovation and discovery was made by a nerd. It made our life better. Say Facebook, Google or any other tech giants. They all have a nerd at its top. But nerds have been stigmatised.

As a matter of fact, we know many kids, and adults as well got bullied for being too geeky. We in Kerala call them "The Padipists". We are a generation who praise "The Backbenchers". We have a culture that undermines learning. And it is going to tear down our society.

In the information age, you and I are the alpha males

                                - Leonard Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory

Read: How “The Big Bang Theory” Normalized Nerd Culture

 

Learning is not just something that you do at school or college and ends there. It is a continuous process. Schools should teach us how to learn. Sadly, what it does is, make us hate it!

Learning is essential to our existence. Just like food nourishes our bodies, information and continued learning nourishes our minds. Lifelong learning is an indispensable tool for every career and organisation. Today, continuous learning forms a necessary part in acquiring critical thinking skills and discovering new ways of relating to people from different cultures. To live a life without continuous learning is unthinkable.

 via Edex

Well, it is not too late.

Let us embrace the "nerd" culture.

Let us stop believing that learning stops at schools and colleges. 

Start by reading a book 😀

If Sushanth was alive I think this is what he would have said!