Practical Anarchism

1. Anarchism is a daily practice of disidentification and liberation

Anarchism only occurs in practice, as we continually interrogate and reflect on the ways that power inheres in centers and corners, and we diffuse that power towards collective care and self-determination.

Everyday anarchism. Anarchism is not just a political ideology, but a way of living that challenges hierarchies and power structures in our daily lives. It involves questioning and dismantling internalized oppression, such as racism, sexism, and state authority. By practicing anarchism daily, we can create spaces of freedom and mutual aid within the cracks of the dominant system.

Disidentification process. This involves critically examining the roles, identities, and beliefs imposed on us by society and choosing to reject or redefine them. It's about recognizing how power operates in subtle ways and actively working to create alternative relationships and communities based on autonomy and cooperation.

Collective liberation. The goal is not individual freedom at the expense of others, but a shared liberation that recognizes our interdependence. This involves building networks of care, practicing solidarity, and working towards a world where everyone's needs are met without coercion or exploitation.

2. Relationships thrive on boundaries, consent, and the ability to end

Break up with your lover, your friends, your family, your job, your presuppositions! Only in the break can you reimagine the right boundaries that allow you to engage with all of these types of relationships out of a position of autonomy and mutual care.

Healthy boundaries. Recognizing and communicating our limits is essential for maintaining autonomy and fostering genuine connections. This applies to all relationships: romantic, familial, friendships, and even our relationship to work or institutions.

Consent culture. Moving beyond simple "yes" or "no" to a more nuanced understanding of ongoing, enthusiastic consent in all interactions. This creates space for changing desires and needs, and respects everyone's bodily autonomy.

Impermanence as strength. Embracing the idea that relationships can and should end when they no longer serve us allows for more authentic connections. It removes the pressure of "forever" and encourages continual growth and reassessment.

3. Work is not your identity; steal back your time and resources

Ultimately, the anarchist argument has to be for the abolition of work. In this word, we understand the hierarchical relationship of worker to boss, which is one of exploitation, devoting the surplus value (profit) to the boss at the expense of the worker.

Rejecting work ethic. The idea that our worth is tied to productivity is a capitalist construct. Anarchism encourages us to find meaning and value outside of our jobs or economic roles.

Reclaiming resources. This can involve:

• Stealing from work when possible
• Sharing skills and tools within communities
• Reducing hours worked to prioritize life outside of employment
• Creating mutual aid networks to meet needs outside the wage system

Reimagining labor. Instead of "work," we can focus on:

• Care work and maintaining our communities
• Creative pursuits and personal development
• Collective projects that directly benefit those involved

4. Education should foster critical thinking, not conformity

An anarchist approach to study will ground our learning in community and collaboration against the individualized narrative of progress.

Questioning authority. Traditional education often reinforces hierarchies and unquestioning acceptance of "facts." Anarchist education encourages students to critically examine information sources and power structures.

Collaborative learning. Moving away from competition and individual achievement towards:

• Peer-to-peer teaching
• Group projects that solve real community problems
• Intergenerational knowledge sharing

Self-directed study. Allowing learners to follow their interests and learn at their own pace, rather than adhering to standardized curricula. This fosters genuine curiosity and lifelong learning.

5. Money is a tool for mutual aid, not moralistic accumulation

An anarchist relationship to money, then, would be a wanton spending of whatever you have on everything and anyone. Therefore spending could even run parallel to something like looting, where people refuse to pay for the things they need—or the things they want.

Rejecting scarcity mindset. Capitalism relies on the fear of not having enough. Anarchism encourages generosity and recognizing abundance when we share resources.

Mutual aid networks. Creating systems of reciprocal support where people freely give and receive based on need, rather than ability to pay. This can include:

• Community food shares
• Skill exchanges
• Collective housing projects
• Free stores and really really free markets

Redefining value. Moving beyond seeing money as the primary measure of worth. Instead, valuing:

• Time and relationships
• Ecological health
• Community well-being
• Personal growth and creativity

6. Art can envision and create alternative worlds

Art—whether we make it or enjoy it—can be a means to reject what we are given, to reject the false choices we are asked to make, and to begin to alter reality and reject the stranglehold of realism.

Imagination as revolution. Art allows us to envision worlds beyond the current system, making alternatives feel possible and inspiring action.

Disrupting narratives. Creative works can challenge dominant ideologies by:

• Telling stories from marginalized perspectives
• Reimagining social relationships and structures
• Using abstract or experimental forms to break from realism

Participatory culture. Blurring the lines between artist and audience, encouraging everyone to engage in creative expression as a form of liberation.

7. Rethink space and infrastructure beyond state control

If we rethink our relationship to land and space along these lines, we can learn of tactics to resist domination and open spaces up for collective care.

Challenging property. Questioning individual ownership and borders imposed by states and capitalism. Instead, focus on:

• Land stewardship and ecological relationships
• Communal spaces and resources
• Fluid boundaries based on use and need

Decentralized infrastructure. Moving away from reliance on state or corporate controlled systems towards:

• Local, renewable energy production
• Community gardens and food forests
• DIY transportation networks (bike shares, ride collectives)
• Neighborhood tool libraries and repair cafes

Temporary autonomous zones. Creating spaces of freedom, even if temporary, within the cracks of the dominant system. This can include occupations, communes, festivals, or spontaneous gatherings.

8. Embrace non-linear time and momentary freedoms

Anarchism is often dismissed for its inability to last, and yet here it is, popping up at every moment of history under many names, as a countering force to linear time, as a defense against the flattening of narrative, by the texturing of time with multiplicities.

Rejecting progress narratives. Linear ideas of history often justify oppression in the name of "development." Anarchism recognizes cycles, ruptures, and multiple timelines.

Valuing the present. Instead of always working towards a future revolution, find liberation in:

• Moments of connection and mutual aid
• Acts of resistance, big and small
• Experiments in alternative ways of living

Honoring other temporalities. Recognizing diverse cultural understandings of time, including:

• Indigenous cyclical time
• Queer temporalities that reject heteronormative life scripts
• Crip time that honors different bodyminds and paces of living

Last updated: November 18, 2024