When you’re a fan of something – and I don’t mean that, say, you read and enjoy the Harry Potter books, I mean that you’re a fan of something – you’re likely accustomed to the obligatory jeers that accompany you when you express your love for this object. With me so far?

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I am in particular referring to fans of “geeky things” (anything entertainment), because for some reason our society is way more accepting of sports fans (not people who play sport, people who dress up in crazy costumes and shout at the players. I never get it when these people judge us for our obsessions). Whatever your passion is, if it in any way goes beyond what I’ll classify as mild enjoyment, to many people whose interests are considered normal, you are fair game for heckling, eye-rolling and generic “get a life”-themed comments.

But you know what? I could sit here and try to come up with a rationale for why we’re really the awesome ones and they all suck, but I won’t (partly because I already have).

Because who cares?

When it comes down to it, these people are just close-minded, and I’d like to say that this makes them jerks, but really, it just makes them human. We are all, every single one of us, close-minded about something, quick to judge someone based on a superficial fact about them. Whether it be geeks, sports fans, blondes, brunettes, boys, girls, actors, scientists, older people, younger people… whatever you’re not is per definition not right. Right? Well, wrong, because obviously this it an extremely close-minded outlook on life. But as I said, it’s human nature, and it’s not for me to solve the crisis of humanity here today. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, I just shake my head and smile at those who refuse to get us, and refuse to accept how much we get out of our fandom passions. I had an experience recently when I was talking to my friend about my love of… I can’t even remember what, maybe The Hunger Games or Harry Potter, and I heard someone by us snort. I turned, and saw this particular someone watching me, sizing me up with that look, and my first instinct was: “Oh crap, I’ve been found out!” But then I realised the absurdity of this person’s judgement of me based on my love of something, and the even bigger absurdity of me letting it affect me.

Fandom has brought me more joy than I could possibly express here. It has also brought me strange looks, an obsession with the Internet and a life philosophy strongly informed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer (men are evil, nerds are sexy, you can do kung-fu in 10-inch heels), but most of all it’s just good things.

Harry Potter was my constant, unwavering companion through childhood. The friends I made online became my closest confidantes, they grew up with me and we shared so much more than an obsession with Ron Weasley. I found a similar companionship through my love of Lost, and now I work here on Hypable, taking my love of fandom to the next level. All the great writing I have allowed myself to sink into through books and TV have inspired me to write myself, and not only do I have something to write about, I also have the confidence of knowing that I can. I have, after all, been doing it since the age of 11.

So whenever I hit a real-life snag in the form of a technophobe who for whatever reasons thinks that this fact makes them “better” than me, I just remember that those who have missed out on fandom, those who instead spend their time obsessing about appearing “cool” at all times and only showing interest in the “right” things, never engaging with any creative texts beyond consuming them, they’re missing out. On all the subtext, on the community, on all the fun. And there are plenty of people in real life who I have been able to connect with through a shared love of a fandom, too. I have no time or energy for people who pre-judge others.

Laughing at something you don’t understand, whatever it is, is not only ignorant and close-minded, it’s also just sad, and says more about you than the person you’re laughing at. I only hope that one day these people, too, get to experience the magic of fandom.

This column post was written by Hypable writer Selina Wilken. Follow her on Twitter @SelinaWilken!