I’m going to show you a video of a group of people breaking into a Hong Kong skyscraper, reaching the roof, and hacking the massive billboard to display their own message… WHAT’S UP HONG KONG? I love it.
They call themselves OnTheRoofs, and though they’re sponsored by the likes of The North Face and Vans – which kind of calls into question whether this stuff is actually “real” – I still appreciate the subversive message; I think the world needs more subversive people. So, before I show you the video, I want to talk about the lack of subversive thinking in our society, and why I believe that’s a bad thing. I promise to keep the lecture short.
A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer
Many years ago I read a book called The Diamond Age. It was written by Neil Stephenson, and you may have heard of it. Wikipedia describes the book as such:
The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of A.I.
The book also talks heavily about subversive thinking and behavior through the lens of a young girl named Nell. In the book, Nell has a “primer” – A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, in fact – that… “…primers… are meant to teach the girls subversive thinking, enabling them to pursue more interesting and free-spirited lives than the rigid protocols and societal rules established by their particular tribe.” Feel free to replace “tribe” with “society.”
It’s this book that got me thinking about the notion of beneficial subversive behavior after I finished reading it almost 15 years ago. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.
Why The World Needs More Subversive Thinkers
In many ways I believe we’re living in the best of times, and the worst of times. Our technological prowess as a species is increasing at an incredible rate, and yet our society itself isn’t keeping up with this technical innovation. Much of our global popular is unable to do any form of critical thinking.
You may be saying, but Chad… critical thinking and subversive thinking aren’t the same thing! You’re right, they’re not… but there’s a lot of overlap. Subversive thinkers – people like Banksy and perhaps even OnTheRoofs – are generally more capable critical thinkers, something the world is sorely lacking. These are the type of people to call us out on our bullshit as a society and maybe unleash a bit of their inner Loki to get the message across.
Yes, you can watch the video now. You’ve earned it!
If I’m going to be honest here, what these guys did was probably illegal. I would never suggest any of you do anything illegal… that just wouldn’t be proper. However, I can say that maybe this kind of thing isn’t so bad. Perhaps it’s a good thing for us to occasionally push back against the “rigid protocols and societal rules…” for the betterment of everyone.
But, that’s just what I think. Maybe I’m full of shit.
What are your thoughts?
