Nerd‑resentment as political energy

The everyday comic‑psychology of the ‘clever but powerless’ worker (the Dilbert archetype) is a recurring cultural kernel that converts professional competence grievances into durable political and cultural alignments—supporting technocratic reforms, anti‑establishment genres, or identity mobilization depending on the institutional outlets available. — If taken seriously, this explains why technical elites oscillate between managerialism and radical anti‑political positions and shows how workplace status dynamics can seed broader political movements.