2. Your Opinion Becomes Invalidated
Youd think, being the resident expert on films, youd be the go-to guy and your word would become gospel on the matter- people come to you with countless queries, they ask your opinion, they ask if youve heard of something, and they will all queue up and listen to you preach on the one subject you know loads about. This is actually the opposite of what happens. People dont really listen to you, and actually borderline distrust you and your opinion. What you say doesnt go, and just goes unnoticed. I can think of two reasons for this. Firstly, its because being a nerd on any subject means you assert yourself above the average bloke- so what you think doesnt really apply to anyone else other than fellow nerds. Secondly, being a nerd means youve seen more, know more, and crucially like more. Whilst that 3 hour Italian film from the 60s about hedonism and the fall of Christ stands as a towering cinematic achievement to you, everyone else is likely to just roll their eyes at it. What you like as a movie nerd is not what the average person likes. So whilst it would make sense for your opinion to be the final word on films, the opposite is actually the case. This is worsened by the existence of film critics, who you come to realise are every bit as neurotic and obsessed as you are, but who actually normalise movie nerdiness through being paid to talk nerdily about films and appearing on TV and radio and everything. Just remember that you are the exception, not the general public.