@Julien on Disobedience and Anarchy

Disobedience, in the beginning, creates independence. But the later acts of disobedience that most of us perform don’t creating anything. They’re small and pathetic. They are useless acts of control performed to create an illusion of agency that no longer exists.

What you need now is a big act of disobedience.

via in over your head.

The problem with disobedience on a large scale is not one anarchy, but actually one of uniqueness. When you were a kid and did bad things you were establishing your own identity and demonstrating uniqueness.  A “Big Act of Disobedience” when you are an adult will only work if you are the only one doing it and you already have a reputation of being a leader or a trendsetter. Anyone else will simply be marginalized and therefore ignored.

The only time “Big Acts of Disobedience” ever work on a large scale is: Revolutions to overthrow governments and the formation of unions in Walmart. The latter usually ends with everyone getting fired or Walmart moving to another town.

I get the idea of what Julien is trying to say, but the reality of “Disobey” is to be branded “Troublemaker“. If you can manage to pull of troublemaker without getting fired, your Disobedience should just be labelled Leadership.

3 thoughts on “@Julien on Disobedience and Anarchy”

  1. I totally get what you’re saying. When I first read Julien’s post I was thinking the same thing.  I asked him, “What’s an example of a ‘big act of disobedience’ that u think would benefit someone?” I honestly couldn’t think of anything. He said, “I think you should tell me.” So I thought about it… hmmm.. Skipping work? Not paying my bills? The consequences of those actions wouldn’t benefit me in any way. I read the links he provided: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/29/1011562/-Most-of-you-have-no-idea-what-Martin-Luther-King-actually-did http://inoveryourhead.net/scars/ and thought deeper. I thought about being scared to death to do something, doing it anyway, surviving, and then feeling “free.” I’ve wanted to be a singer my whole life, but have always been afraid of judgment and rejection. I think what Julien was trying to get at (at least this is my interpretation) is that you have to do what scares you. Disobey yourself. You’ll live, even if you fail, and you’ll be a better person for it.  

    1. @twitter-248996405:disqus  I get that too, but even in your examples, it shouldn’t be “Disobey”. It should be “PERSEVERE”. Persevere to do the unlikely, the improbable, the impossible even. No one in life tells you as an adult that you are not allowed to do something that might be of benefit to you. Most likely, you are given the leeway, and even the rope to hang yourself with, but you have lacked perseverance to to see it through. 

      Persevere, you’ll succeed even after you stumble and fail. Only then will you truly be a better person for it.

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