If I hadn’t known better I would have thought he had this answer prewritten. You can tell this was something that deeply resonated with him. What a great response.
My love and admiration of this man just spiked and that is almost hard to believe considering how much I respected him before. Wil Wheaton is definitely one of the good ones.
This is so touching. I have dealt with being called a nerd and being judged for it my entire life and I still wake up every day, wear a new Star Wars shirt and enjoy being a nerd because its what I love about me. I am so glad that Will gave this answer. It's so heartwarming in so many ways.
I save this video to my 'Health' playlist, because it resonates with me. Wil is an amazing person and has been through hell and back. The man gets it. He gets us. He's a treasure.
I watched this video last year but forgot how special this is... And I want to make sure I can remember to reshare it the next time kids and I talk about bullies. I always get chills with Will's last sentence.
When I clicked on this I thought to myself, "Please don't just say 'One day they're going to be working for you'". This is a much better and more thoughtful answer.
I didn’t know too much about Will but I absolutely adore this response. He put so much love into this life lesson for this little girl who was hurting. Beautiful man.
Well done Wil! I was called a nerd and geek (and "the brain") my whole life. I was teased for it in elementary school. Now that computers have become mainstream being called a Nerd or Geek is a badge of honour. And, much like you Wil, I married the woman of my dreams. She proudly wears a t-shirt that says "I Heart my Geek" (Heart being the picture of a heart not the word - and I wear "I Heart my redhead!") I am definitely a Wheatonite!
If there's one thing that I can tell those who are still in school, it's that you shouldn't be afraid to be yourself and venture on a lifelong journey into the things that YOU like just because other people pick on you. It's important to be happy because not only do you feel better about yourself, you also do better in life. You'll get better grades and you'll perform better in speeches and theatrical plays.
The whole answer was beautiful and perfect, but I want to say I like one particular thing he says that probably too many people DON'T say when trying to give advice on this subject: "Don't apologize for liking the things that you like."
transcribed this video for a deaf friend of mine: Child: When you were a kid, were you called a 'nerd' and, if so, how did you deal with it? Will Wheaton: When I was a little boy I was called a nerd all the time because I didn't like sports, I loved to read, I liked Math & Science, I thought school was really cool...and, um...it hurt, a lot because it's never okay when a person makes fun of you for something, like, you didn't choose. You know, we don't choose to be nerds. We can't help it that we like these things and we shouldn't apologize for liking these things (audience applauds). I wish I could tell you there's a really easy way to just...not care, but the truth is, it hurts…but here's the thing that you might be able to understand...as a matter of fact, I'm confident you'll be able to understand, because you asked this question: when a person makes fun of you, when a person's cruel to you, it has nothing to do with you. It's not about what you said, it's not about what you did, it's not about what you love...it's about them feeling bad about themselves. They feel sad. They don't get positive attention from their parents. They don't feel smart as you. They don't understand the things that you understand. Maybe one of their parents is really pushing them to be a cheerleader or a baseball player or an engineer or something that they just don't want to do...so they take that out on you, because they can't go and be mean to the person that's actually hurting them. So, when a person's cruel to you like that, I know that it's hard, but honestly, the kind and best reaction is to--to pity them...and don't let them make you feel bad because you love a thing. Maybe find out what they love, and talk about it...how they love it. I bet you'll find out that a person who loves...tetherball loves tetherball exactly the way that you love Dr. Who...but you just love different things. And I will tell you this: it absolutely gets better as you get older (audience applauds)…and (pauses as audience wildly applauds) I know it's really hard when you're in school and you're surrounded by the same 400 people a day that pick on you and make you feel bad about yourself...but there's 50,000 people here this weekend who went through the exact same thing...and we're all doing really well (audience hoots, laughs, cheers). Don't you ever let a person make you feel bad because you love something they decided is only for nerds. If you're loving it, then it's for you. Thanks for your question.
This is fantastic. I remember being made fun of when I was a kid. Honestly, I stood up to them and won most of them as friends because I wasn't afraid of them. THIS response from Wil Wheaton is just marvelous.
... and it'd be hilarious to us nerds, listening to the apes trying to string words of two syllables or less into semi-intelligible sentences, hoping the effort doesn't give them a headache.
Even though it’s still hurtful to be teased and excluded on any level, nerd culture has become so much more mainstream over the past few decades. For 80’s kids being labeled a nerd was basically the worst thing ever. As an adult nerd now its so heartening to live in this golden age. Kids will find something else to be shifty about, no doubt. Don’t ever let someone put you down for the things you love.
“Let me give you some counsel, bastard. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strenght. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister Rephrase: Let me give you some counsel, NERD. Never be ashamed of what you are. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.
I'm really, really happy you went up and asked that question. A bunch of people have really needed to hear and be helped by Wil's answer. You being brave enough to ask it made that happen. Thanks
What a great answer and so loving and kind. What a great person and friend he must be. To have been in Hollywood for this long and to have seen the things he has seen and probably been through with the pressure to be what others around you want you to be to sell yourself, he has come out to be a wonderful man. Great to see this young man from his days on Star Trek the Next Generation grow into such a kind young man. Love it Will.
These days being a nerd isn't a bad thing. Far from it. The world has changed so much that it's almost bad to not be a nerd. Enjoy playing Angry Birds on your iPhone? Thank the nerds. Addicted to facebook? Nerds. Most of the highest grossing movies in history are nerd fare - sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes. We may not rule the world (yet) but we certainly have popular culture by the tail.
Fredrick Everson If real nerds were the ones with real power in this world, I guarantee it would be better. Because a real nerd can understand what it's like at the bottom, and would work to fix it. A real nerd would see the plight of his or her minimum wage employees, and would take less to give their employees more. A real nerd would have passed marriage equality laws because a real nerd understands what it's like to be ostracized for who they are and what they like. A real nerd would strive to make the world better because everything that we love shows us how much better the world could be, and how much worse it could be if we keep going down the same path. Honestly, as nice as it is to have the kind of respect and influence that we have these days, I wonder if we're losing all that. It was our outsider status that defined us. It was also that status that gave us the kind of empathy and compassion and hope that is so prevalent in our culture. But just look at one of the biggest icons of our culture - Superman. He's always been a symbol of peace and hope, an iconic nerd if ever there was one. Yet look at how he's portrayed in Man of Steel - dark and gritty. Disconnected. Careless.
First. Will, you're a beautiful person. Second, everyone who bullied me in school is now either working shitty jobs, in jail or dead. A few made it. I'm married to the love of my life, I have three great kids, a two car garage, I've never been unemployed and have a ton of friends who understand me. Its not who can hit the hardest, little one. Its who can get back up and succeed anyway. Bullies suck because they play the short game. Play the long game. KNOW you're worthy, and good things will come by your own hand. I was picked on for being a nerd. Now im a published author of a D&D product (Out of the Box Encounters). Who's laughing now?
That was GREAT!! Bravo Will for that thoughtful and compassionate answer and Brava young lady for asking a question that so, so many other people can identify with!!
This was such a great response! I'm so happy the girl was brave enough to ask that question and I hope she's a proud and unashamed geek nowadays! People will always be jealous if you are passionate about something. I really liked how Will made this such a good response for a child. One thing I'd like to add/ enphasize is that as you leave school and get older, you choose the people you want to hang out with and being different will be something that's appreciated - talking from my own experience!
Told from a place of deep understanding and life experience. Wil's character was often used as a deus ex machina in the show...the wunderkind who had all the answers that saved everyone. In real life, in this moment, Wil the man had the perfect answer, and he may have just saved that little girl from years of self-doubt and frankly years more of therapy. Bravo Wil. Bravo.
Not only "it gets better as you get older," the older you get ... the better it gets. I hated my life in my 30's (even though I had it pretty good; life is always tough). I turn 70 this year and my life has never been better. I am so glad I stuck it out.
Growing up, I was never called a nerd, I was never bullied, if anything I was the bully and I deeply regret being one. As an adult, I like to party, hang out with friends, talk to girls, watch and play sports, and do stuff that "cool people" like to do. Deep down inside, though, I'm a nerd/geek/gamer. I love sci-fi, I love gaming, I like anime, and I like things people would consider "nerdy". My advice for kids who didn't, and aren't, growing up as fortunate as I is: don't listen to those bullies. Like I was as a kid bully, they're just insecure and don't know how to deal with their true selves. Love what you love because believe me, once high school is over, you'll find a lot of time and a lot of other people (like me) that share your love and interests.
When I was called a nerd in high school, I took it has a compliment. I realize that I just didn't care at all what others thought. I was happy and that was all that mattered to me.
Will is a boss and every time I've ever seen him, he is a tremendous person for sure, and the courage to stand up and ask this question in a room full of eyes gazing upon you is inspiring.
I was called many other things as a kid. I have a learning disability that I didn't understand, nor did many others. I was teased in many different ways by a lot of people. It would have been nice to hear something like this when I was a kid, but because I was different, I thought that I needed to change, but changing myself made me like myself less. After my divorce, I learned to embrace who I am and I love myself now. I'm in my 50's now. I applaud Wil Wheaton for this wonderful insight and for taking the time to explain it to someone who desperately needed to hear it!
Wish I’d had any amount of validation like this when my classmates were picking on me, body shaming me, beating me up. All I got was “ignore them”. Really happy for that little girl.
My dad always told me "You never want to peak in high school". And it is true, adulthood is far longer. Being awkward and different then has made me more confident and comfortable with myself now which is always a plus. He also told me "Always be nice to the nerds, you will probably be asking them to give you a job one day." Such sage advice and I am glad I followed it :)
Reminds me of Dennis' speech from that one episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": "Oh, I haven't peaked Deandra, I haven't even BEGUN to peak, when I peak, you'll know it"
heywood jablome depends on your experience I guess. The people who were my friends in school are now all a-holes and those that were bastards in school are pretty cool people now.
I put a comma in the middle of that sentence to make it more emphatic. Those are two dependent clauses that can't exist without the other. You can switch both parts and it will mean the same... People change it's true. We grow up and move on it's true, The scars we carry are there for a reason. If you are friends with your former bullies deep down you enjoyed their attention and their cruelty. You can say you forgave them, but can you ever be sure that their apologies (if they ever apologized) were truthful? If you don't believe me... Think about it think about it think about it...
A lot can happen between childhood and adulthood that can shape and change a person - bullies can turn into great people, and formerly nice/sweet children can be made cynical and mean by negative life experiences. You never know. That being said, I'd agree that it would be difficult to forgive, let alone befriend somebody who tormented you at some point in your life, but one of the best (and hardest) things you can do in life is forgive and forget. Holding onto these mental scars doesn't help you, and it doesn't hurt your former tormentors, it only eats away at you.
I'm a Nerd and am PROUD to be a Nerd and always have been. If others don't like me as a Nerd, then they can go find some jerk jockstrap to befriend and I am SO sure that they will be treated better by the jockstrap. So go and be a popular crowd brown-noser and see how long they treat you like you want to be treated. It makes me sick and I would MUCH rather be with 50,000 Nerds than with the most popular of jerk jocks and others that think they are the elite in this world. Wil Wheaton is a class act and I am always happy to see him at Comic Con and on STNG. My hat's off to Wil. : )
I would have loved it if someone like him had told me that when I was younger. Fortunately I had teachers and parents who supported me, but they never knew how bad the bullying got. Years later, I told two of my favorite teachers that they helped me deal with being bullied by making me laugh and showing me it was okay to be myself. They were very moved that they had had such a profound effect on me, but they were also sorry they never knew how bad the bullying was for me. I’m very grateful to have had them as teachers, mentors, and later colleagues, when I went back to that school and worked there as a substitute teacher.
It's almost been a year since she asked this question. I wonder how the little girl is going now, I hope she is flaunting her nerdiness without a care now! Awesome!
Casey Harte Well I was actually the personal friend of the girl. She didn't commit suicide, but she was driven to depression after she broke down from the peer pressure, and she set her house on fire. I was there when it happened and the fire department arrived too late to save anything. She stayed over at my home for a month before she suddenly disappeared overnight. It has been 30 years and she still hasn't been found.
Sadly, most "nerds" these days turn out to be just as bad as the bullies they dealt with growing up. They insult people for liking something mainstream. Sorry your favorite TV show doesn't get the ratings mine does. Doesn't mean you have to turn this into a competition just because your show gets critical acclaim from people just as nerdy as you.
When you say sorry your favorite tv show doesn't get the rating, I think of game thrones. DA NA DA DA NA NA DA DA NA NA DA DA NA NA.....NAAAAAA NAA NANANA NA NANANA DA NA DA NA NA NA DA NA NA NA.. my mum has watched 2 seasons of it with me and decided she wont watch anymore.. .:|
nerd is a very versatile word... what you are decribing are "geeks". Nerds can be a fan of any subject, usually academic, while geeks are more accustomed to media and pop culture
well then theyre just assholes... and the fact that their nerds shouldn't make it ok. but yet because some ones a nerd shouldnt mean they should be targeted by other bullies
my classmates would call me "bookworm" to hurt me. i actually liked that nickname because it pretty much translates into "you are smarter than us". can't argue with that
To me the Doctor has to have a British accent. Not that anything about the Doctor himself demands it, but being a very long running proud show from the BBC kind of does. Can Wil do one?
This is the best answer I've ever heard. I already loved Wil Wheaton for Stand by Me, Star Trek, dozens of guest appearances in shows I love, and for his own online show, Table Top. But my opinion of his has gone up even more.
You can tell that man is a father. That response is wonderful. There is so much care in his voice.
I love that he took the time to talk her through this. She's in the comments talking about how it helped her. So happy to see this on here.
That girl's life was changed by kindness, honesty, optimism and hope.
If I hadn’t known better I would have thought he had this answer prewritten. You can tell this was something that deeply resonated with him. What a great response.
My love and admiration of this man just spiked and that is almost hard to believe considering how much I respected him before. Wil Wheaton is definitely one of the good ones.
This is so touching. I have dealt with being called a nerd and being judged for it my entire life and I still wake up every day, wear a new Star Wars shirt and enjoy being a nerd because its what I love about me. I am so glad that Will gave this answer. It's so heartwarming in so many ways.
I save this video to my 'Health' playlist, because it resonates with me. Wil is an amazing person and has been through hell and back. The man gets it. He gets us. He's a treasure.
One of the best and most insightful responses to an age old question!! What a class act of a person
I watched this video last year but forgot how special this is... And I want to make sure I can remember to reshare it the next time kids and I talk about bullies. I always get chills with Will's last sentence.
reason #7614 why ***** is awesome
Chokes me up everytime I watch this. Thanks Wil for being such a nice guy
Yup. Totally crying here. ❤
Same. Me rn 😭
He's balancing his terrible dice rolls with a kind heart. I love it
Nice guy indeed. He grew up to be such an intelligent and empathetic man.
This man just broke my heart and put it back together again.
When I clicked on this I thought to myself, "Please don't just say 'One day they're going to be working for you'". This is a much better and more thoughtful answer.
Truth. How others treat you is a reflection of THEM. Even when they treat you well. ❤️
I didn’t know too much about Will but I absolutely adore this response.
He put so much love into this life lesson for this little girl who was hurting.
Beautiful man.
This is why I love Wil! He is so perfect the way he is and an inspiration to so many people!
Looooooooooove him all over again!!! Wil Wheaton is THE reason I starting watching ST TNG, which changed my life for the better. True story.
I have never been much of a Star Trek fan, but I think we can all respect Wil Wheaton being a great role model for this little girl.
Well done Wil! I was called a nerd and geek (and "the brain") my whole life. I was teased for it in elementary school. Now that computers have become mainstream being called a Nerd or Geek is a badge of honour. And, much like you Wil, I married the woman of my dreams. She proudly wears a t-shirt that says "I Heart my Geek" (Heart being the picture of a heart not the word - and I wear "I Heart my redhead!") I am definitely a Wheatonite!
Wil is such a great father and great person!
An absolutely perfect response. Props to you, Wil.
This whole response was perfect. One of the best things about this is Wil doesn't trivialize the real hurt that verbal abuse causes.
If there's one thing that I can tell those who are still in school, it's that you shouldn't be afraid to be yourself and venture on a lifelong journey into the things that YOU like just because other people pick on you. It's important to be happy because not only do you feel better about yourself, you also do better in life. You'll get better grades and you'll perform better in speeches and theatrical plays.
Damn that brought a tear to my eye.
Thank you so much for being such a decent and kind person, Wil. You bring a smile to my face when I really need one. Much love to you.
I imagine we would all love to go back in time and say this same thing to our younger selves.
Best ever advice to our young nerds when they get bullied.
Yeah +WilWheaton , you still rock.
63 people didn't get love from their parents.
The little girl I used to be who was picked on for the way she looked and how much she loved pop music wants to say Thank You +WilWheaton. #TearsOfJoy
Nerd is the biggest compliment anyone can give me.
What great advice Will Wheaton gave that little girl. He's the type of role model this world needs, what a classy guy.
The whole answer was beautiful and perfect, but I want to say I like one particular thing he says that probably too many people DON'T say when trying to give advice on this subject: "Don't apologize for liking the things that you like."
When I grow up, I want to be Wil Wheaton.
transcribed this video for a deaf friend of mine:
Child: When you were a kid, were you called a 'nerd' and, if so, how did you deal with it?
Will Wheaton: When I was a little boy I was called a nerd all the time because I didn't like sports, I loved to read, I liked Math & Science, I thought school was really cool...and, um...it hurt, a lot because it's never okay when a person makes fun of you for something, like, you didn't choose. You know, we don't choose to be nerds. We can't help it that we like these things and we shouldn't apologize for liking these things (audience applauds).
I wish I could tell you there's a really easy way to just...not care, but the truth is, it hurts…but here's the thing that you might be able to understand...as a matter of fact, I'm confident you'll be able to understand, because you asked this question: when a person makes fun of you, when a person's cruel to you, it has nothing to do with you. It's not about what you said, it's not about what you did, it's not about what you love...it's about them feeling bad about themselves. They feel sad. They don't get positive attention from their parents. They don't feel smart as you. They don't understand the things that you understand. Maybe one of their parents is really pushing them to be a cheerleader or a baseball player or an engineer or something that they just don't want to do...so they take that out on you, because they can't go and be mean to the person that's actually hurting them.
So, when a person's cruel to you like that, I know that it's hard, but honestly, the kind and best reaction is to--to pity them...and don't let them make you feel bad because you love a thing. Maybe find out what they love, and talk about it...how they love it. I bet you'll find out that a person who loves...tetherball loves tetherball exactly the way that you love Dr. Who...but you just love different things.
And I will tell you this: it absolutely gets better as you get older (audience applauds)…and (pauses as audience wildly applauds) I know it's really hard when you're in school and you're surrounded by the same 400 people a day that pick on you and make you feel bad about yourself...but there's 50,000 people here this weekend who went through the exact same thing...and we're all doing really well (audience hoots, laughs, cheers). Don't you ever let a person make you feel bad because you love something they decided is only for nerds. If you're loving it, then it's for you. Thanks for your question.
+
thanks, I found the audio hard to understand at times too due to all the echo in the room!
+
I have only one eardrum, and had a heck of a time understanding some of what he said... thank you immensely for doing this!
You have no idea how much this helped me.
And then the girl said "Thanks, nerd"
This is fantastic. I remember being made fun of when I was a kid. Honestly, I stood up to them and won most of them as friends because I wasn't afraid of them. THIS response from Wil Wheaton is just marvelous.
Why would anyone dislike this video?? Great words from a proud fellow nerd. What a fantastic response from a good kind man.
For the same reason they'd bully someone.
What a fantastic response!! Absolutely outstanding :)
I would give anything to hang out with Will Wheaton for just one day! LOL
Somewhere there's a conference of tetherball fans with a kid asking how to bully people
... and it'd be hilarious to us nerds, listening to the apes trying to string words of two syllables or less into semi-intelligible sentences, hoping the effort doesn't give them a headache.
Even though it’s still hurtful to be teased and excluded on any level, nerd culture has become so much more mainstream over the past few decades. For 80’s kids being labeled a nerd was basically the worst thing ever. As an adult nerd now its so heartening to live in this golden age. Kids will find something else to be shifty about, no doubt. Don’t ever let someone put you down for the things you love.
The wisdom, empathy, and kindness in this beautiful answer are overwhelming.
“Let me give you some counsel, bastard. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strenght. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister
Rephrase: Let me give you some counsel, NERD. Never be ashamed of what you are. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.
underated comment :D
I actually teared up watching this. I had experiences like this too. And I'm doing great now!
Wil Wheaten, you are an incredible human being and a rock star in my world. Keep being you. You're helping so many like this little girl.
I'm really, really happy you went up and asked that question. A bunch of people have really needed to hear and be helped by Wil's answer. You being brave enough to ask it made that happen. Thanks
I've never seen any of his TV shows or movies, but Wil Wheaton is one of my new favorite actors ever.
"I've never seen any of his TV shows or movies". Then how do you know he's one of your faves?
***** Usually we love the art but need not love the artist, but MattFromPhilly is doing it the other way around, and that's fine!
Matthew Litwin So he's Matt's favorite person, who just happens to be an actor?
james pogrebetsky pretty much
Matthew Litwin Pretty much. After seeing this, I don't need to see his work to understand that he's a great person, and I respect him.
Wow...just wow. What a phenomenal motivational talk to a little girl. Wheaton is singularly impressive.
What a great answer and so loving and kind. What a great person and friend he must be. To have been in Hollywood for this long and to have seen the things he has seen and probably been through with the pressure to be what others around you want you to be to sell yourself, he has come out to be a wonderful man. Great to see this young man from his days on Star Trek the Next Generation grow into such a kind young man. Love it Will.
What a remarkable speech. So much honesty and compassion. Wow!!! ❤❤❤
These days being a nerd isn't a bad thing. Far from it. The world has changed so much that it's almost bad to not be a nerd. Enjoy playing Angry Birds on your iPhone? Thank the nerds. Addicted to facebook? Nerds. Most of the highest grossing movies in history are nerd fare - sci-fi, fantasy, or superheroes. We may not rule the world (yet) but we certainly have popular culture by the tail.
We're in a better position than ruling the world: we are the power brokers!
Fredrick Everson
If real nerds were the ones with real power in this world, I guarantee it would be better. Because a real nerd can understand what it's like at the bottom, and would work to fix it. A real nerd would see the plight of his or her minimum wage employees, and would take less to give their employees more. A real nerd would have passed marriage equality laws because a real nerd understands what it's like to be ostracized for who they are and what they like. A real nerd would strive to make the world better because everything that we love shows us how much better the world could be, and how much worse it could be if we keep going down the same path.
Honestly, as nice as it is to have the kind of respect and influence that we have these days, I wonder if we're losing all that. It was our outsider status that defined us. It was also that status that gave us the kind of empathy and compassion and hope that is so prevalent in our culture. But just look at one of the biggest icons of our culture - Superman. He's always been a symbol of peace and hope, an iconic nerd if ever there was one. Yet look at how he's portrayed in Man of Steel - dark and gritty. Disconnected. Careless.
Agreed, although Superman has always been a bit too "deus-ex-machina" for my taste -- I prefer the Marvel characters.
First. Will, you're a beautiful person.
Second, everyone who bullied me in school is now either working shitty jobs, in jail or dead. A few made it.
I'm married to the love of my life, I have three great kids, a two car garage, I've never been unemployed and have a ton of friends who understand me.
Its not who can hit the hardest, little one. Its who can get back up and succeed anyway. Bullies suck because they play the short game.
Play the long game. KNOW you're worthy, and good things will come by your own hand.
I was picked on for being a nerd. Now im a published author of a D&D product (Out of the Box Encounters). Who's laughing now?
Nerds have inherited the world; that’s getting the ultimate “last laugh”!
That was GREAT!! Bravo Will for that thoughtful and compassionate answer and Brava young lady for asking a question that so, so many other people can identify with!!
I had never seen this before, and it popped up in my feed today. I love Wil Wheaton even more now.
This was such a great response! I'm so happy the girl was brave enough to ask that question and I hope she's a proud and unashamed geek nowadays! People will always be jealous if you are passionate about something.
I really liked how Will made this such a good response for a child. One thing I'd like to add/ enphasize is that as you leave school and get older, you choose the people you want to hang out with and being different will be something that's appreciated - talking from my own experience!
Told from a place of deep understanding and life experience. Wil's character was often used as a deus ex machina in the show...the wunderkind who had all the answers that saved everyone. In real life, in this moment, Wil the man had the perfect answer, and he may have just saved that little girl from years of self-doubt and frankly years more of therapy. Bravo Wil. Bravo.
Such a shining light.
You've been my hero for over 30yrs, Mr Will
Not only "it gets better as you get older," the older you get ... the better it gets. I hated my life in my 30's (even though I had it pretty good; life is always tough). I turn 70 this year and my life has never been better. I am so glad I stuck it out.
Growing up, I was never called a nerd, I was never bullied, if anything I was the bully and I deeply regret being one. As an adult, I like to party, hang out with friends, talk to girls, watch and play sports, and do stuff that "cool people" like to do. Deep down inside, though, I'm a nerd/geek/gamer. I love sci-fi, I love gaming, I like anime, and I like things people would consider "nerdy". My advice for kids who didn't, and aren't, growing up as fortunate as I is: don't listen to those bullies. Like I was as a kid bully, they're just insecure and don't know how to deal with their true selves. Love what you love because believe me, once high school is over, you'll find a lot of time and a lot of other people (like me) that share your love and interests.
When I was called a nerd in high school, I took it has a compliment. I realize that I just didn't care at all what others thought. I was happy and that was all that mattered to me.
For an off-the-cuff response that is about as perfect a reply as you could wish for.
Will is a boss and every time I've ever seen him, he is a tremendous person for sure, and the courage to stand up and ask this question in a room full of eyes gazing upon you is inspiring.
Will Wheaton I love you.
I always liked Wil Wheaton, he was in some GREAT movies and seems he turned out to be a smart and respectable man! :)
He definately turned out better than many other people in the profession that started out at a young age.
9 years old this video and wil wheaton is still a champion for that answer
I was called many other things as a kid. I have a learning disability that I didn't understand, nor did many others. I was teased in many different ways by a lot of people. It would have been nice to hear something like this when I was a kid, but because I was different, I thought that I needed to change, but changing myself made me like myself less. After my divorce, I learned to embrace who I am and I love myself now. I'm in my 50's now.
I applaud Wil Wheaton for this wonderful insight and for taking the time to explain it to someone who desperately needed to hear it!
Wish I’d had any amount of validation like this when my classmates were picking on me, body shaming me, beating me up. All I got was “ignore them”.
Really happy for that little girl.
My dad always told me "You never want to peak in high school". And it is true, adulthood is far longer. Being awkward and different then has made me more confident and comfortable with myself now which is always a plus. He also told me "Always be nice to the nerds, you will probably be asking them to give you a job one day." Such sage advice and I am glad I followed it :)
Reminds me of Dennis' speech from that one episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": "Oh, I haven't peaked Deandra, I haven't even BEGUN to peak, when I peak, you'll know it"
If someone calls you a nerd, you say “damn right…” Then, you go and live your great life.
You’re a champ, Will. God Bless you for your powerful and honest testimony.
Too bad he let himself get bullied in the nova squad. Kidding aside he’s a great mentor and that’s a great response.
Well, now he bullies Sheldon, so...
When someone hurts you as a child, they don't deserve to know you as an adult.
Not really a good attitude. A few of my best friends are my former bullies. People can change over time.
LaughingOwlKiller They can change but most don't unfortunately.
heywood jablome
depends on your experience I guess. The people who were my friends in school are now all a-holes and those that were bastards in school are pretty cool people now.
I put a comma in the middle of that sentence to make it more emphatic. Those are two dependent clauses that can't exist without the other. You can switch both parts and it will mean the same... People change it's true. We grow up and move on it's true, The scars we carry are there for a reason. If you are friends with your former bullies deep down you enjoyed their attention and their cruelty. You can say you forgave them, but can you ever be sure that their apologies (if they ever apologized) were truthful? If you don't believe me... Think about it think about it think about it...
A lot can happen between childhood and adulthood that can shape and change a person - bullies can turn into great people, and formerly nice/sweet children can be made cynical and mean by negative life experiences. You never know. That being said, I'd agree that it would be difficult to forgive, let alone befriend somebody who tormented you at some point in your life, but one of the best (and hardest) things you can do in life is forgive and forget. Holding onto these mental scars doesn't help you, and it doesn't hurt your former tormentors, it only eats away at you.
What a fantastic answer from Wil Wheaton. That was beautifully put and inspiring.
Bullying isn't about you! Go Wil Wheaton!
I'm a Nerd and am PROUD to be a Nerd and always have been. If others don't like me as a Nerd, then they can go find some jerk jockstrap to befriend and I am SO sure that they will be treated better by the jockstrap. So go and be a popular crowd brown-noser and see how long they treat you like you want to be treated. It makes me sick and I would MUCH rather be with 50,000 Nerds than with the most popular of jerk jocks and others that think they are the elite in this world. Wil Wheaton is a class act and I am always happy to see him at Comic Con and on STNG. My hat's off to Wil. : )
Wow - some of the best words of wisdom and humility every. Will is much younger than me, but I wish somehow I had heard his words when I was a kid.
Nothing short of a perfect answer to a troubling question. Well done.
Yep, he's right.
The more I watch Will the more I find him inspirational and logical.
Wonderful answer! You have my admiration.
What a wonderful question and encouraging response!
I think I may just have to start watching Big Bang Theory now. Just because of Wil Wheaton. What a great response!
Oh damn it ***** you are giving me all of the feels....
I would have loved it if someone like him had told me that when I was younger. Fortunately I had teachers and parents who supported me, but they never knew how bad the bullying got. Years later, I told two of my favorite teachers that they helped me deal with being bullied by making me laugh and showing me it was okay to be myself. They were very moved that they had had such a profound effect on me, but they were also sorry they never knew how bad the bullying was for me. I’m very grateful to have had them as teachers, mentors, and later colleagues, when I went back to that school and worked there as a substitute teacher.
thank you for sharing this! Thank you Will...
It's almost been a year since she asked this question. I wonder how the little girl is going now, I hope she is flaunting her nerdiness without a care now! Awesome!
This video hit reddit few weeks ago, parents of the girl gave an update and it seems that the girl is doing well.
Awesome!!
TheSwoleBroscientist I don't want to believe you
Casey Harte Well I was actually the personal friend of the girl. She didn't commit suicide, but she was driven to depression after she broke down from the peer pressure, and she set her house on fire. I was there when it happened and the fire department arrived too late to save anything. She stayed over at my home for a month before she suddenly disappeared overnight. It has been 30 years and she still hasn't been found.
I don't believe that either of you knew this girl, you're full of crap!
Sadly, most "nerds" these days turn out to be just as bad as the bullies they dealt with growing up. They insult people for liking something mainstream.
Sorry your favorite TV show doesn't get the ratings mine does. Doesn't mean you have to turn this into a competition just because your show gets critical acclaim from people just as nerdy as you.
When you say sorry your favorite tv show doesn't get the rating, I think of game thrones. DA NA DA DA NA NA DA DA NA NA DA DA NA NA.....NAAAAAA NAA NANANA NA NANANA DA NA DA NA NA NA DA NA NA NA.. my mum has watched 2 seasons of it with me and decided she wont watch anymore.. .:|
nerd is a very versatile word... what you are decribing are "geeks". Nerds can be a fan of any subject, usually academic, while geeks are more accustomed to media and pop culture
well then theyre just assholes... and the fact that their nerds shouldn't make it ok. but yet because some ones a nerd shouldnt mean they should be targeted by other bullies
I needed this. Thanks, Will.
Standing ovation: well said, Mr. Wheaton. And how incredibly kind to teach this young lady how to deal with hurtful bullies!
Amazing.
I wish I heard this when I was a kid
Thank you for asking that question. It has taken me years to figure out the answer myself the hard way.
I needed this!
LOVE you Wil you are a hero for all of us "nerds"
I always took nerd as a compliment. I figured when those same people started complimenting and liking me it would be a sign I should rethink my life.
I'm going to save this video and share it forever and ever
May the universe bless this man.
my classmates would call me "bookworm" to hurt me. i actually liked that nickname because it pretty much translates into "you are smarter than us". can't argue with that
Wil Wheaton should be the next Doctor.
Wesley Crusher as the Doctor. The responses to that would be hilarious.
To me the Doctor has to have a British accent. Not that anything about the Doctor himself demands it, but being a very long running proud show from the BBC kind of does. Can Wil do one?
Will, you are a good dude. I'm so glad you have dealt with your issues to the point you can help others. That's what it's all about x
This is the best answer I've ever heard. I already loved Wil Wheaton for Stand by Me, Star Trek, dozens of guest appearances in shows I love, and for his own online show, Table Top. But my opinion of his has gone up even more.