“Be Ungovernable”: 67 First-World Anarchists Who Aren’t Afraid To Do Or Say What Many Others Are Thinking

Some people live by the rules, others completely obliterate them and think absolutely nothing of doing so. These rebels aren’t going as far as toppling governments, or burning down buildings. They’re doing just enough to go against the grain and make a statement without causing danger or destruction.

It’s the pup who rips off a “no dogs” sign and carries it down the road in an act of paw-fect protest, it’s the person drinking Pepsi out of a Dr Pepper cup, or the worker who fills the “forks” draw with dozens of plastic spoons. These are the first-world anarchists making life a little more chaotic and a lot more funny for the rest of us.

Their brilliance is often showcased in an online gallery dedicated to celebrating those who dare to scream, “I won’t do what you tell me!” The First World Anarchists page is a wall of boldness ranging from petty to baffling to downright clever. We has put together a compilation of their best posts to inspire you to treat the rules as simple suggestions every now and again.

#1 Bought The 4th Of July M&ms Specifically To Do This

#2 Man Who Kept His Boat Beside His House Was Ordered By The City To Put Up A Fence To Hide The Boat From View

#3 Love How They Just Don’t Care

The world would be pretty chaotic if rules and laws didn’t exist. They help to keep us safe, and ensure that things run smoothly. But often, in daily life, it’s not the strict regulations that save us. It’s the unspoken codes of conduct that we somehow know to follow, even if we aren’t told to.

Social norms are unwritten expectations about how people should behave. From standing in a queue, to returning your shopping cart, or putting your litter in the trash can, these seemingly small things help society to function like a well-oiled machine.

#4 Spread Anarchy

#5 He Cant Read

#6 Good Dog !

Researchers have found that people tend to follow rules even when there is no punishment or reward involved.

In one study involving more than 14,000 participants, up to 70% of them followed an arbitrary rule even if breaking it wouldn’t land them in hot water. The researchers concluded that rule-following is largely driven by social expectations and internal respect for the rules. Not fear…

It’s a case of doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

#7 Does Not Follow Directions

#8 Merry Christmas Fellow Anarchists

#9 Rejected

That’s not to say that people respect all the rules. There are some that are often broken by rebels and angels alike.

Let’s call them “phantom rules.” They’re widely known but inconsistently enforced. Think of things like speeding just a tiny bit, jaywalking, or joining the express checkout aisle with thirteen items instead of ten. People seldom get punished for breaking these rules is rare, so they begin to treat them as “optional.”

#10 I’m Bringing My Sausages On This Bus

#11 In Honor Of The Sun Setting On This Sub, Here’s A Picture Of My Cat Using Her Pineapple House However She Pleases

#12 Fourth Dimension Shattered

Then there are the rules where punishment is enforced but many break them anyway, just not enough to be labelled criminal or deviant. Psychologists refer to this as primary deviance.

“[It] refers to the everyday rule-breaking that nearly everyone engages in at some point -small, one-time, or harmless acts that don’t lead to serious consequences or identity changes,” explains the Simply Psychology site.

In these cases, those breaking the rules don’t consider themselves “rule-breakers.” They’re merely bending the rules to suit their circumstances as and when convenient.

#13 If I Give Her A Cig She’d Be A Bigger First World Anarchist Than Any Of Us

#14 The Club I’ve Been At Tonight Had A “No Pictures” Sign. So Of Course I Took A Picture Of It

#15 Not What I Expected When I Opened The Drawer

The interesting thing about rule-breaking is that it’s like the flu – it can be highly contagious. And that’s because people often take their cue from others about what’s acceptable and how to behave. If everyone around you follows a rule, you’re more likely to follow it too. But when you see a few people ignoring it, your brain may interpret that as permission.

Think about shopping carts, for example. If one or two people abandon theirs in the middle of the parking lot, instead of returning it to its rightful “parking spot,” another person might feel less guilty doing the same thing. Before long, the entire parking lot looks like a cart graveyard.

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#16 Finally

#17 Do Not Use?

#18 If Only There Was A Mark So One Could Put It Back On The Same Way It Came Out

Interestingly, studies conducted by Harvard Business School have shown that people who break minor social norms (like wearing board shorts in the boardroom) can sometimes be perceived as having higher status or confidence. It’s something known as the “Red Sneakers Effect.”

Simply put: if someone feels comfortable ignoring a rule, others may assume they’re important enough that the rules don’t apply to them.

“We all have a desire to fit in. What this means, usually, is that we follow social norms and rules of appropriate conduct,” said study co-author of the study Francesca Gino. “Yet, in our research, we show that deviating from the accepted dress code or social norms has surprising benefits: It leads others to think we have greater status.”

#19 Vending Right Beside A Sign Prohibiting It

#20 Your Laws Can’t Contain Me

#21 I Won’t Do What You Tell Me!

Some argue that breaking a few rules is necessary if you want to live an authentic and creative life. But that doesn’t mean go wild.

“Healthy rule-breaking involves conscious experimentation with specific boundaries to clarify personal values, while destructive rebellion is reactive opposition to all authority without examining what you actually believe,” explains Dan Cumberland, founder of The Meaning Movement. “One builds autonomy; the other perpetuates dependence through opposition.”

#22 Our Postman Is An Anarchist