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+3 votes
I was a young soldier walking down the street in Frankfurt.  
I saw a circle A on the wall and asked my buddy what that was.
He said, 'No government.'
I asked, 'No taxes?'
He said, 'Yes.'
I said, 'I'm in.'
It has been quite a ride since, but I have found no other philosophy that has answered all my questions.

So, how did you find the answer to all that ails us?
by (320 points)
FBA, i'd say around a year ago or so. i can't remember exactly what i read, but i read one thing (not necessarily about anarchism) that led to another that led to another, and eventually to reading about anarchy and anarchism, and i ended up finding a few anarchist websites.

about 7 or 8 years ago, i spent an afternoon talking with a good friend about all kinds of things, and at some point she mentioned to me "oh, you're an anarchist!", to which i replied "i am?". i previously had other connotations of the word (no surprise), and i told her i didn't relate to anything with an "ism" at the end. i didn't really investigate anarchy any further after that, i just knew i looked at things a certain way that seemed different from anyone else i knew. anyway, when i ultimately began reading stuff last year written by anarchists (old and new), i realized how  much of it sounded just like the type of stuff i thought, felt, and often said in conversations (with most people telling me i was crazy, or immature, or utopian)...and it felt damn good to know other people had similar thoughts and desires. i also felt sort of surprised i hadn't stumbled upon the writings of anarchists sooner, but then again, you don't see them in the library or across the television screen. i told my friend last year that i understood why she called me an anarchist, and that i now agreed with her (although i still sometimes feel wary of the "ism").

i never really thought i needed validation for how i looked at the world, but reading (and having conversations here with) people who have thought deeply about this stuff, really has helped me to articulate my views, and to deconstruct a lot of the crap that goes on in social situations.

i ran away from home at 17, quit working jobs by my early 30's, and quite fortunately met a woman who also had a desire to live against the prevailing culture - i knew we had something in common when she told me she tossed her jury notice in the trash. so even during the years while i played the game quite a bit (thought about a "career", bought a house, etc.), i always had part of my mind and heart in another place.

i really desire to meet more people who identify as anarchists - so far, i haven't met any in the flesh.

wow, i didn't plan to write that much...if you kept reading, thanks for listening. :)
BAA - your comments totally equal an answer that I'd upvote, were it in upvotable form. Thanks for sharing!

Also, thanks for finding that - it is what I was thinking of and instead of polluting this site with more about me, I will affirm that what I wrote before holds true, though the narrative voice now might be a bit different than when written, it is still basically factually accurate. Mostly.
Thanks, baa, I was looking for this question as well.
I hope you keep exploring, it was many years before I got the chance to read more about being an anarchist.
I had two years with nothing to do but read after work and I learned much by doing so.
If you haven't accessed the anarchist library I suggest that you do, it is invaluable if you want to learn more about anarchism.
http://theanarchistlibrary.org/special/index

http://theanarchistlibrary.org/authors/emma-goldman
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/conquest/toc.html
Two good starting points,...
ingrate, thanks for the kind words. i enjoyed reading your answer on the other thread as well. interesting how our voice can change over time...even when we mostly mean the same thing...something new materializes.

thanks, FBA, i did find the anarchist library a while back and read from it often. i plan to keep exploring as long as i keep waking up in the morning. :) i wish the same to you.
Thanks for being in the struggle, BAA.

1 Answer

–1 vote
I started taking responsibility of my actions and the best ideology which allowed me to true take control was Anarchy. I have never looked back only fight harder to undermine that which inhibits me for truly existing.
by (180 points)
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