How I Created My Own Anarchy

As an anarchist trying to coexist within an utterly corrupted and completely broken system, I know it can be rather frustrating. Most of us seek nothing more than the freedom to make our own personal choices and follow our own paths in life, free from government intervention, intimidation and force. It's such a simple concept, yet it's so far out of reach... Or is it?

I was relaxing at a sidewalk cafe in Yucatan earlier this year, sipping a coffee and puffing on a cigarette while talking with my friend Arni about the current state of society and government in the USA. As I watched people strolling by at a leisurely Mexican pace with smiles on their faces, I felt lucky to be outside the US and away from the trivial issues that complicate the lives, opinions and attitudes of most Americans.

I mentioned to Arni how I wasn't sure if I'd ever be capable of coping with the ever-increasing insanity of society in the states. "People are just so fucking dumb!", I said. "I mean, it's not necessarily their fault, but they're ridiculously ignorant and have such a narrow understanding of politics that I don't think the system will ever change for the better in our lifetime. They're totally submissive to authority. It's like they want people to tell them what to do."

He looked at me with a somewhat confused expression, and immediately blurted out, "Dude, you're a fucking anarchist, why does it even matter to you?"

At first I wanted to come up with a brilliant rebuttal as to why it mattered, but instead I answered with a half-confident "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I needed a little time to process his words because as simple as they were, what he said had really hit me hard.

Later that day, I began to think about my situation. I'm American, but I'd been living in Mexico and spending probably 80% of my year there for the last 3 or so years. I work remotely for a marketing firm out of Miami and I'm paid in USD. I'm able to completely write off all my income using a little loophole I learned, and so I pay no taxes. I don't have a mortgage, I don't use banks. I don't have a credit card and I'm not subject to the usual stresses Americans endure because I've systematically eliminated those things from my life.

So why is it, exactly, that I care about what's going on with politics or the state of affairs? Why does it bother me that bankers are bending us all over? Why do I despise voters so much and why does reading the news send me into a fury of agitation and disgust??? Because I let it. I've allowed it to.

Here I am, a hardcore anarchist. I've literally designed my lifestyle to be free from all the attachments, complications and the futile and false "responsibilities" of life in the states. I've utilized my knowledge of the system and its corruption to properly plan and give myself an edge over the average guy. I've set myself up to where regardless of what decisions or actions the government makes, none of it really affects me directly.

Suddenly I had somewhat of an epiphany. I realized that I'm already living in anarchy. I wasn't simply living with anarchist intentions and beliefs, I was actually actually living in my own legitimate anarchy. How in the hell had I not came to this conclusion before?

Regardless of how free I felt or the fact that I deny the system of all relevance and validity, I'd been spending far too much time being pissed-off about how dysfunctional it is. It was all about my perspective. I was totally hung-up on thinking that the system still affected me somehow.

Now, surely I don't have to be happy about the current state of affairs. However, understanding that I've eliminated the negative repercussions of living in a near-totalitarian political state made a big difference in how I percieve many things.

A few years prior, I had read Tim Ferris's brilliant book, The 4-Hour Work Week. It was a huge motivating force for me; it really gave me the extra push I needed quit my job and follow my dreams. By combining his methods & ideas along with my own innovations, I began creating the exact lifestyle I wanted. What I didn't realize at the time - or until Arni made that basic yet eye-opening comment to me over coffee that day - was that every concept I'd employed to create my own lifestyle had literally given me my own anarchy. It doesn't matter where I'm living, where I'm traveling or what I'm doing. It's always anarchy.

As anarchists, we all wish the world could understand our concepts. Anarchy is a beautiful thing, and if everyone were educated enough, we could live and work towards truly progressing as a species. We could be without war and without famine. We're capable of being a far more intelligent, compassionate and productive civilization. However, it's highly unlikely we're going to see global or even widespread anarchy in our lifetimes.

While many of us live an anarchistic lifestyle and share anarchistic thoughts, we're still sitting there, infuriated with the system and getting overly-angered about the current condition of society and humanity as a whole. For what, though? At what cost?

You can have your own anarchy right now. You can reduce your stress, reduce your negativity, and eliminate hostility towards others who are less-learned or even downright robots. You can live not only with anarchist beliefs, but you can create and live in a fashion that allows the government very little control over you.

It's all about perspective and planning. The idea of being an anarchist isn't enough because your beliefs are useless unless you can actually act on them. Therefore, you need to plan and design your life to actually be free from the leverage of the government. Use your knowledge and wealth of information to make decisions that will reward you with the freedom you deserve.

What do you do when you know the economy is unstable? When purchasing a home is a horrible investment? When corporations routinely drive small business into the ground? When the job market is totally unpredictable? What do you do when you're sick of adhering to bullshit rules and unjust regulations set into place by career criminals who are above the law??? Create your own anarchy.

Don't make the bad investment of a mortgage. Don't open a retail business or restaurant in a failing economy. Don't keep large sums of money in banks. Don't take on a career path that you'll be a slave to, or one which locks you into a specific geographic location. Don't buy expensive items unless you can afford to pay in cash - avoid all financing. Eat healthy, exercise and avoid doctors & hospitals at all costs except for emergencies. If you break the law, be smart and don't make choices that could result in being pulled into the court system. Don't make contracts with people unless absolutely necessary. Avoid any/all interactions with the police and exercise your 5th amendment right when possible. Stop watching TV if you already haven't. Stop spending your time worrying about what politicians, bankers and the media say and/or do - their lies and propaganda don't affect you unless you're living under their control.

While these ideas may not be new to you, they're very real. I can assure you this because I already practice them. When you begin to implement them into your life, your own anarchy starts to become a reality. You'll begin to feel more free, and you will be more free. You'll begin to understand that you've effectively removed yourself from the consequences of the system. You'll worry less about what's going on in the world around you because it doesn't affect you. You'll be happier, and you'll be able to focus on teaching others how to free themselves from the hellish grip of government. As they progress, they'll be able to do the same and the process can continue down the line.

Trust me. You don't have to wait for the world to convert to anarchism - it likely never will. What you can do, is begin to live in a very real, very legitimate anarchy right now. You simply have to create it.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your tips or ideas below on how you've created your own anarchy.