Sticking it to the Man

     As I wait for lecture to start, I see students with MacBooks and iPhones surfing one website: Facebook. Even during lecture, students constantly check their Facebook out of sheer habit. Due to my generation’s addiction to this social networking site, I thought it was only fitting that Professor LaVaque-Manty pulled up a picture of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, while discussing the relationship between Machiavellianism and glory. After specifying that Machiavellian politicians seek glory, defined as “praiseworthiness”, for the state, the Professor proceeded to point to Zuckerberg and ask the class “what makes this guy praiseworthy” and “what does your generation consider praiseworthy”. After sitting in silence for a few moments, a student fittingly quoted Justin Timberlake from The Social Network, reciting, “A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A billion dollars.”.
     As the student suggested, Zuckerberg’s immense wealth undoubtedly contributes to his “praiseworthiness”. But his popularity among my generation stems deeper, and it’s more important to realize how he achieved success. It wasn't by climbing the corporate ladder on Wall Street while wearing a suit and tie. Rather, Zuckerberg made billions of dollars with his own idea while wearing socks, sandals, and a hoodie; essentially spitting in the face of the establishment. Beginning with his days at Harvard, Zuckerberg consistently challenged authority, starting with a website called Facemash that allowed Harvard students to rate the attractiveness of women at the school. The website ultimately crashed Harvard’s computer servers and put Zuckerberg on academic probation. Zuckerberg continued to defy conventional thought with his most famous idea, Facebook, by dropping out of Harvard to devote more time to the project. Furthermore, Zuckerberg refused to sell his idea to corporate America and has maintained his position as CEO of Facebook through its growth.  Essentially, Zuckerberg embodies the arrogant genius who knows he’s smarter than everyone else. He achieved greatness by doing things his way, a quality that glorifies him in the eyes of my generation.
     Even kids who are notorious for following the rules (i.e. myself) consider nonconformity a positive attribute. My generation graces rebellious musicians and athletes with praise, many of us wishing we had the guts and skill to do it ourselves. My generation made Eminem, with his offensive lyrics and unorthodox wordplay (see video below), the bestselling artist of the decade. My generation made Allen Iverson’s rant about missing practice an everlasting sports moment. It’s no coincidence that both these individuals represent a counter-culture, specifically a culture in which people be themselves without apology. In a society that’s obsessed with physical appearance and public perception, high-profile nonconformists provide a breath of fresh air. They make us feel more comfortable in our own skin and give us the confidence to challenge authority.  Such confidence allows us to make the tough decisions, the decisions Machiavelli insists are necessary for a functional society.

     Like Machiavellian politicians, these nonconformists often blaze their trail on their way to glory by promoting an array of questionable values (see Eminem, Iverson). The controversial attitudes held by these nonconformists suddenly ingratiate themselves into mainstream pop culture and affect the young, impressionable minds of society. As Machiavelli describes in the Prince, the path to glory holds moral gray areas and prompts dissenters to consider if the fame and wealth they achieve justifies their promotion of insubordination. Moreover, it prompts our society to examine whether or not rebellious behavior should be considered a praiseworthy attribute.