If I'm on the subway, or waiting in line somewhere I'm reading a comic book, or a scifi/fantasy novel or a gaming book or playing video games. Maybe I'm wearing a geek shirt, maybe I'm not. If you ask me what my plans for the weekend are... "I'm watching Legend of Korra and Avengers and Game of Thrones and playing Assassins Creed and might have some friends over for some Small World. I might catch some of the NFL draft and watch the WWE PPV. What are you doing? " Chances are they'll tell me that they plan to drive their demonspawn around, acknowledge the existence of godlike entities, mow their lawn, shop for new curtains, drink alcohol, or other activities that are way beneath me. However, if they react positively to any of my answers, or I react positively to any of theirs, SUDDENLY WE HAVE CONVERSATION.
In most of the jobs I've had, I had a few guys I could talk to about sports, a few guys I could talk to about videogames, someone who was a wrestling fan, someone who was a low-level geek, girls who might watch the same tv or movies or books, or even that old religious jewish lady who used to sit in the desk behind mine...and watched LOST. The only way you can find this out is if you actually TALK to people.
When you TALK to people, you find out that no matter how different you think you might be, you almost always have ONE thing in common.
What I don't get about people who "don't talk about it" is ... how do you ever find other people who share your hobbies? I remember reading a thread on here a few years back about some guy who kept his dirty secret and then was looking in the trash near the office copier and found someone making character sheets. And he eventually realized that one of his office mates played every week and because both of them were ridiculous children they had never met and became friends the entire time.
Do you really just hope that your high school friends never die or move away?
Personally, I literally have no tolerance for people who are ashamed of their geek hobbies.
NONE.
Its insulting.
As in, once you admit to me that you lie about you hobbies for fear that someone else will think less of you, you are giving me permission to think less of you. And I do. And I will not associate with you. Because you have already told me that you think poorly of me. You think I am something that should be hidden away and ashamed of. Screw that.