The Cuckoo's Egg: Risky Business

There is a fine line between genius and insanity. One can hardly reach for the stars without being first considered a lunatic. In his book The Cuckoo’s Egg, Cliff Stoll faces this conundrum, but does so conscious of the risk of ruin. “The network community depended on me, without even knowing it,” he writes. “Nobody was telling me what to do, yet I had a choice: should I quietly let things drop? Or do I take arms against this sea of troubles?” We all get a chance to do something of consequence in our communities. Even something as small as an idea can lead to a revolutionary change in humanity. But equally possible is the chance of fruitless experiments, rejection, and embarrassment. Cliff Stoll’s account illustrates that conviction shields genius from insanity, that one can determine the significance of their own achievements, and that invaluable experience is gained in the journey itself.

Cliff knew that he was taking big risks by devoting so much of himself to the hacker. But despite those around him who saw his pursuit as a crazed obsession, Cliff was convinced that it was a serious matter that needed to be dealt with. “Something important was entirely up to me,” he writes. When faced with the door of opportunity and when wondering about the severity of the risks, one must consider the conviction that one has to the matter in question. Unfortunately the tendency is to immediately shy away from a challenge once risks have been identified; but when one is convinced that pursuing a challenge is the right course of action, then one is not only justified in persevering, but morally obligated to do so. Stoll was tempted to give up countless times in his investigation, but had he done so, our very nation may have been compromised. Thankfully Stoll realized that a lack of support from his coworkers and superiors did not translate to giving up on what he felt was important.

A more unique twist on the matter of genius versus insanity is how the individual can determine the significance of their own achievements. Often what we know of history is in reality an individual’s take on those events. Stoll’s narrative is no exception. The case in which he invested countless hours didn’t end with a monumental, earth-shattering court case, a cash prize, or even a raise. The recognition he received could be considered to have been minimal. But that’s not how he chose to see it. He wrote a New York Times Bestseller; he celebrated his own personal achievement at having saved the country and caught the hacker. As the author of the story, both figuratively and literally, Cliff wrote himself in as the genius, not the insane. The significance of one’s achievements need not be dependent on others’ opinions and in this light, our individual pursuits become ever more important to us.

This last observation is particularly true when one considers how much is gained simply in the journey itself, regardless of the outcome. The Cuckoo’s Egg shows clearly an evolution in Cliff’s character as he engaged in pursuing the hacker. He came to understand and appreciate computer networking as more than a conglomerate of wires and cables, but a web of mutual trust between members of a community. He came to recognize the value of ethical behavior and yet learned not to assume it. He realized that political boundaries aren’t as black and white as they had once seemed to him and that behind it all there were common interests. His story also shows how his emotions for his girlfriend were defined and refined through his experience chasing the hacker. For Cliff, as for anyone, undertaking a challenge despite great risk becomes a crucible experience, teaching and providing invaluable experience to shape who we are and how we see the world.

A quick glance at the front cover of the book brings us nearly to assume that Cliff’s story will end in success. Though there are moments when his genius is questioned, we hardly expect the author of a New York Times Bestseller to wind up in an insane asylum. But for each of us, as we walk the fine line between genius and insanity, our outcomes are unassured. We can’t let the fear of failure and the risk of ruin deter us from embracing challenge, particularly when we are convinced that what we are doing is right. As the historians of our own lives, we can largely determine the significance of our own outcomes. The pursuits that we undertake will bring with them knowledge and experience that summarize the very purpose of our lives. At the risk of insanity, let us pursue genius.