The easiest way to recognize the hacker at a dinner party - he's the guy who listens intently and doesn't say a word, except for frequently interjecting 'Not true' and lapsing back into smug silence. He really does believe he has all the answers to life, the universe and everything. Free software, free markets, and a free society would probably top the list. Taking the initiative and the risks is almost universally accepted amongst hackers as the only route to the big time 2 . Most talented hackers are gentle, friendly creatures with a versatile sense of humor.
Hackers universally abhor senseless violence, in fact senselessness or violence of any kind.
The most pacifist of all varieties of humans, their peace trappings may often make them identify with, and be mistaken for 60s hippies, though there is a lot that sets them apart from people whose experience with virtual reality is limited to the use of psycho-active drugs. Some hackers have experimented with a variety of drugs nevertheless, and all would agree that nothing really beats the high you get from hacking a complex system. Creativity and intelligence are the ultimate trip. Hackers automatically resist and rebel against external authority of any kind. They also love to de-emphasize its importance through humor and practical jokes designed to embarrass rather than wound, because they know that the only way to deal with someone seeking authority is simply not to grant them any .