“If You Need It Explained, You Won’t Understand”: 50 Posts From ‘Delusions Of Adequacy’ (New Pics)

One must wonder what exactly "Delusions of Adequacy" means. Well, it’s an ironic variation of a previous term, “delusions of grandeur,” which is a person’s false belief about their own greatness and skills. When you think that someone has delusions of adequacy, you're actually insulting them by saying that they're incorrect to even think they could be competent enough to do or think of something. This definition is linked to the type of content the members of this page are sharing, like “feigned intelligentsia” and “blatant dumb-assery.”

Their About Community tab is also quite mysterious. It’s full of cryptic sayings like “the road to adequacy leads through the dark forest of your own inadequacy” and “if you need it explained, you won’t understand, if you understand you won’t need it explained.” When it comes to some of us with below-average brains, we really need to look twice before we can figure this one out.

However, in a previous interview for Bored Panda (which you can find here), the creator behind this subreddit explained that sometimes he’s confusing on purpose. Those who understand his kind of humor will get it, and those who don’t will never be able to, no matter how much he tries to explain. By being intentionally puzzling, he hopes to encourage people to try and think their way into adequacy (hence the name) and minimize the number of fellows who think they’re smarter than everyone but actually are quite dimwitted.

Not so long ago, being a nerd like that wasn’t cool. Hobbies such as reading comic books, obsessing over Star Wars, and spending hours at the arcade could’ve gotten you easily teased or bullied, to the point that many kept them to themselves. Imagine it being lame to like Marvel or Call of Duty, especially now when the hidden aspects of nerd culture have made it into the mainstream for everyone to enjoy. Currently, science fiction shows are popular, people crowd comic conventions, and our new heroes are the Michael Ceras and Andrew Garfields.

The question is, how and why now? The internet has been a game-changer and those who couldn’t keep up with it risked being left behind. Geeks, armed with in-depth knowledge, passions, and skills, were able to quickly adapt to the new technological advancements. In the 1990s, when Silicon Valley, a high-tech industry, started to bloom, faces like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs became huge successes. They changed the way nerds were seen in the media, with a quote floating around that encouraged people to be nice to them because chances are they’ll end up working for one.

It was also a time of fantasy and science fiction, both previously labeled as nerd territory. Releases like Harry Potter, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings broke the geek culture wall. Before that, as a comic-loving moviegoer, the best you could expect was an action movie about The Blade or The Punisher. During the '90s, actors who played nerdy roles were now seen portraying more muscular and tough characters. As a result, the film stars started to flaunt their nerdiness rather than hide it. Now most of us wish we could be Iron Man - a superhero who started off as a geeky engineer.

A rise in video game popularity also contributed to the nerdy shift. In the '80s, they were still pretty niche, with not a lot of people wanting to play. Not to mention the video game industry crashing down due to the oversaturation of low-quality gadgets. But Nintendo handled this by releasing a new video game console marketed as a children’s toy. The sales skyrocketed, and the success led to the creation of iconic franchises like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda. Afterward, the appearance of online games and Millennials matured this hobby and proved gaming to be an enjoyable pastime for adults or even a career.

There’s no need for modern-day nerds to be hiding in the shadows anymore. Now they’re represented as intelligent, interesting, respectful, and very successful people. Don’t get us wrong; they’re still seen as a bit socially awkward, but in a positive and adorable way. Don’t get us wrong; they’re still seen as a bit socially awkward but in a positive and adorable way. People passionate about their hobbies proudly label themselves as all types of nerds - book nerds, food nerds, gaming nerds, science nerds, etc.

It’s quite troubling that it took us so long to accept dorky culture, but all that matters is that we’re here. We’re finally at a place where we can share our excessive hobbies and passions with the rest of the world. For more on all things dweeb, make sure to check out our earlier publication here.