"Quirk Theory"

I have a marked interest in mathematics and psychology, so when I saw a book (The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth) attempting to scientifically explain "cafeteria fringe," I was hooked. "Cafeteria fringe" is defined as the people who are labeled as "different" or "weird" by their peers and are consequently mocked or excluded. These people often sit alone at lunch or with strangers, earning them the title. They can be judged for their appearance, views, religion, smarts, sexuality, interests, or pretty much anything. When I was a first year, I fell in this category for my bossy, know-it-all attitude (trying to mask deep insecurity) and my intelligence. I even overheard Ron telling Harry, "It's no wonder she doesn't have any friends. HONESTLY," and then cried for hours. So I sympathize with the kids in this book.

The book is nonfiction but reads almost like fiction as it anecdotally follows the lives of 7 main characters who experience this in some way or other. They are all labeled" "the loner," "the popular bitch," "the nerd," "the new girl," "the gamer," "the weird girl," and "the band geek." From the reader's point of view, they are all great people and worthy of befriending, but their fellow classmates see only the outside. Interspersed within the stories are psychology and science, things like the biology behind not wanting to be "that guy" who answers differently from everyone. One of the scariest parts was when I learned that "the weird girl," hated by cliques at school, is actually a teacher and is hated by teacher cliques. This is not just a teenage problem.

Quirk theory essentially states that the very same things that make peers, especially in a school setting, reject a person, are the things that positively set them apart from others in the real world. The "quirks" that are labeled become skills and interests that create interesting, successful people. I agree.