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Title: The Secret Is to Begin
Author: CrimethInc.
Date: September 28, 2016
Language: en
Topics: introductory, activism
Source: Retrieved on 21st June 2021 from https://crimethinc.com/2016/09/28/feature-the-secret-is-to-begin-getting-started-further-resources-frequently-asked-questions

CrimethInc.

The Secret Is to Begin

When you resolve to take your destiny into your own hands, it’s hard to

know where to start. Ceding responsibility to others is easy: you vote

for a political party, you donate to a nonprofit group, you pay taxes to

a government, you enlist in an army, you enroll in a school, you work

for a corporation, you convert to a religion. Practically our whole

society is arranged that way. It can be daunting to come up with your

own agenda, to start over with yourself as the agent of history.

But you’re not starting from scratch. You have talents, longings, and

dreams that you have given up on pursuing because there seems to be no

space for them in this world. The first step is to rediscover them. We

aren’t just talking a negative struggle against external constraints,

but the positive project of realizing our potential on our own terms.

Anything you wish you could do—anything you think someone should

do—begin it now.

Ready or not, you are already engaged in the struggles of our time. We

were all born into them. It’s not a question of whether to fight, but

how. Do we seek individual solutions or make common cause? Do we address

one problem after another, or strike at their roots? Do we keep

investing resources in the institutions that are failing us, or stake

our lives on something else?

The ruling order may appear unshakable, but change is the only constant

in this world. Windows of opportunity are going to open when things will

be possible that seem impossible now. The best way to prepare for such

moments is to already be in the habit of acting on your own terms,

outside the logic of the prevailing regime. When you know your own

strength, you may be able to open those windows yourself.

Get in position. Find people who bring out the best in you. Learn to

take care of each other and act powerfully together. Share things.

Discuss struggles elsewhere around the world; draw your own strategic

conclusions to test when the opportunity arises. Build networks,

resources, and skills that will be useful in those moments of

possibility. Dedicate yourself to a long-term project that challenges

some aspect of the power structure. Wherever you can, open up the fault

lines between those who prefer the world the way it is and those who

want something different. Don’t seek to concentrate power, but to

diffuse it—a part of your potential is locked in everyone else, and you

won’t be able to access it without them. The outcome of a revolution is

not determined by revolutionaries, but by which side the people on the

fence ultimately join.

Take heart. The hardest part of taking your destiny in your hands is the

fear of the unknown. There are no guarantees, and the stakes are the

things you prize most in all the world. This is why it’s a relief to

consign yourself to others’ projects and values, giving up on your own

in advance so you don’t risk failing yourself. Yet that means accepting

the worst-case scenario as a foregone conclusion. If that’s the

alternative, you might as well hazard the leap into the unknown. On the

other side, you will find us—the companions you deserve.