How should one rule and influence the people? Machiavelli’s political essay “The Prince” describes how a ruler should best earn and maintain power. Leaders today are still called Machiavellian when an action they’ve done seems particularly power-hungry or even evil. In politics, the acquisition of power has some fairly obvious milestones including events like campaigns, elections, or, depending where you are, a coup. However, political power is far from the only kind of power. Cultural and social power are also incredibly valuable.
With the internet, this influential power is garnered more easily than ever reaching millions of people allowing certain influencers immense cultural power. Machiavelli’s suggestions on military power don’t have much sway here but the rest is surprisingly applicable whether or not you believe it is the best course of action. Below are Machiavelli’s (slightly adapted) five tips on how to gain Youtube fame and power you never thought possible. Results may vary.
- Be born into fame and power
You can’t exactly make this happen for yourself but if you do happen to come from a rich and famous family it will be easier to get started. Machiavelli says that it is easier for hereditary princes to maintain power because people are familiar with them and they have existing connections and resources in place. New princes have a harder journey because “difficulties occur in a new principality.”
If you are starting out trying to get a Youtube or maybe a TikTok following, it will help if people already know who you are. For example, when Kim Kardashian and her 4 year old daughter North started a TikTok page, in just two days it had over 1.3 million followers. Even if you’re not already famous, having money and connections will help buy equipment and grow your channel.
- Rely on hard work rather than fortune
That being said, you should still rely on hard work more than fortune. Machiavelli says in chapter 6 of “The Prince” that those “who [have] relied least on fortune are established the strongest.” You would presumably have had to work hard to come into your power and have established yourself through skill rather than just notoriety.
Still fortune does have some sway over power. Machiavelli describes it in chapter 25 as “the arbiter of one-half of our actions.” This is especially true on the internet. A viral video and the luck of that can make your career. But you cannot rely on fortune, or the Youtube algorithm, to continue to be in your favor. Work hard, grow your base, and earn the love of the people. Hard work is necessary even in times of immense luck.
- Is it better to be feared than loved?
Machiavelli is famously quoted as saying it is better to be feared than loved. This is a slight misrepresentation of the full quote from chapter 17, “one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.” The application of this principle to Youtube can be seen in feuds between Youtubers.
A feud draws attention and reaches multiple fan bases who might be interested in the drama. But starting one is a dangerous game as going too far may make your subscribers look elsewhere. So it is still better to be loved than feared, but drumming up interest through a little intrigue may increase notoriety and cement your reputation as someone of note.
- Appear to be good even if you aren’t
Machiavelli says that it is impossible for a prince to be in possession of all good qualities. Because it is impossible to be perfect in this way, someone in power needs to “know how to avoid the reproach of those vices” that would lose power. Additionally it is not necessary for someone to have all good qualities but to look like they have them. You need to appear to be virtuous.
A Youtuber should be very careful of their online presence because once recorded or posted it may never be forgotten. If you are an awful person off camera, don’t allow those faults to become part of your public image. You need to control when you use less-than-nice tactics to increase fame so that your image and reputation are not damaged.
- Make sure that no one hates you
And lastly and most importantly, make sure that people don’t hate you. The people are the ones who are in real control over your cultural influence. According to Machiavelli a person held in high esteem by the people is not conspired against by the people. No matter how a person gains their fame and cultural power, they need to ensure that the people are on their side. Rather than the people finding safety in a leader’s military strength, the people find comfort in a constant source of reliable pleasant entertainment.
Machiavelli’s depiction of the common people seek only not to be oppressed. People today seek an alcove of safety that they can connect with. A Youtuber should not show disregard to people as this may make the people hate them. This was the case for ReSet who was sentenced to jail after pranking a homeless man with an oreo filled with toothpaste. It was also true when Logan Paul found the dead body of a person who had committed suicide in Japan. These instances caused outrage, losing the love of the people.
So, in summary, these tips will probably not make you famous. They might surprisingly help a little; but I am positive Machiavelli didn’t have Youtube in mind when writing a 16th-century political essay on the power of princes.