I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what makes an agorist, and have come up with a list of 15 things along the theme of “you might be an agorist if”. Sure it’s a spinoff of some bad comedy skits, but I think it’s a cool way to showcase what I’ve noticed in many agorist individuals I’ve interacted with. Because agorism and markets are nothing without the people there to keep them going.

So, you might be an agorist if…

…you can’t learn any new skill without trying to monetize it. 

For an agorist every new skill becomes a new money stream if you know how to play the hustle game. I’ve turned it into a game when some new topic peaks my interest. If it’s something that requires a lot of time invested like learning a skill, I try and find ways to monetize it. If I can, I take photos and monetize the effort itself by blogging. Sometimes this is enough. Other times I produce a product or offer a service but at this point I don’t embark on anything new without some thought into the “payoff.” Honestly for me, much of the fun comes from finding ways to earn value for my labor and experience. There’s no point in putting effort in if you don’t receive something of value out of it.

…you don’t just have one income stream but many.

Agorists are known for “working under the table” and people who do that generally don’t just have one thing that makes them money, but many.  This is especially true for me.  I work for a few larger blogs (like this one) but I also work for many people doing just one job every month or so for a little extra on the side. I thrive in having a diversified income so if one person can’t afford to pay me (which has happened, fuck you coronavirus), I am never screwed.  Which gets me to my next point…

…you are highly adaptable.

Agorists generally have at least a few well developed skill sets they’re working with if they’re seasoned.  This makes them highly adaptable to changing markets. So if the market for something suddenly dries up or competition is too great, one can change like a chameleon to make more for themselves off of something different. If you suffer from a short attention span like I do, agorism can be the only way to support oneself when keeping focus on one topic is difficult.

…you buy from people selling things not because you need what they are selling but because you respect the hustle.

I am known to buy from small vendors just to support the fact that they hustle instead of beg, especially here in Mexico where agorism is rampant and no one knows the word. For example, I bought a little glass anchor necklace for 20 pesos because it was pretty. Or I’ll see a kid selling roses and I’ll buy them just for the sake of supporting his drive to hustle. Sometimes I don’t want what they have so I just give them a tip. In actual stores that I find very impressive, I’ll always find something small to buy even if it’s just a stone for my zen garden.

…when you go to any new city the first place you want to check out is the markets.

Within a month of living in Acapulco I was utterly addicted to the Central Market and it’s the first place I go when I return to Acapulco. In Mexico City, my main objective was to have a real tourist experience and visit some of the dozens of markets they have to offer. I visited a weekly heavy metal market dedicated to selling all things goth, like a giant freeform Hot Topic, as well as the witchy and slightly illegal Sonora Market. If you ask me, my favorite thing about Mexico in general is that there are markets everywhere. It doesn’t matter how small the town, they’re at least gonna have a roadside market selling everything you need for tacos. And there’s always going to be one vendor you really like that keeps you coming back if you stay in the area.

…you avoid paying taxes as much as possible.

This could mean all sorts of things from blatant tax protest to refusing to drive and pay gas taxes. Or choosing to drive electric to avoid gas taxes. The agorist is one who won’t take a receipt if it means they don’t have to pay taxes.  They may even give up on filing taxes every year. At the very least one should try and opt out of the income tax by only working “under the table” gigs.

…you are willing to break laws to free the markets. 

There comes a time in every agorist’s journey when they are faced with doing something illegal. It could be not paying taxes; it could be selling drugs. Every agorist must decide for themselves how far they are willing to go to help free the markets. I personally have risked and almost lost my life for agorism and that was very hard. I don’t blame people for not wanting to risk everything. However, the level of personal freedom I’ve achieved is second to none.

…you have a network of your favorite small businesses.

These could be vendors at the market like I have here in Mexico. Or store owners. Or even street vendors, but most agorists have people they like to buy from and support for the sake of keeping them going. You might have to pay a tiny bit more for something but the customer service is incredible. Or you pay less for a quick and dirty experience. Regardless, any good agorist has their network of where they get things from. My prime example is I have a lady that sells the best sorbet I’ve ever had. So I buy excessive amounts because she runs the business out of her house like (almost) every other Mexican woman here.

…you get paid in cryptocurrency.

One of the main goals of agorism is to opt out of government money and one of the best ways to do that now is in cryptocurrency. If you get paid for your efforts in crypto, you are likely already an agorist even if you don’t realize it.

…you realize the only way to change the world is not by talking but to live as though the world has already changed.

I set a distinction between anarchists and agorists even if agorists by nature are anarchist. This distinction is a cultural one meaning it’s determined by culture, not logic. Anarchists as far as I am concerned are talking heads.  They complain about the world, and theorize about solutions — all the while still living pretty oppressed statist existences — often working and paying taxes like everyone else. These are the people you see spending all day on Facebook arguing with people they don’t know about things that don’t really matter.

The agorists, as far as I am concerned, are those who see the issues of the government and try and live their life in a way to where they are being oppressed as little as possible while still being able to conduct voluntary affairs. Putting it simply, agorists are out there doing the damn thing while everyone else is talking about it. We’re trying new things, making mistakes and learning a lot about how to survive. And it’s not surprising that agorists have been fine in these recent coronavirus events where everyone is suddenly questioning their own ability to survive.

…you haven’t been worried during the coronavirus pandemic.

I’ve noticed those I consider agorists (even if they don’t know it themselves) are those who are weathering the drama of coronavirus with a zen like composure. This whole pandemic has exposed a lot of “anarchists” as being only so in thought, too afraid to act because they didn’t actually try any of the solutions they pushed to know if they’d work.

But agorists are already growing gardens, storing food long term and working from home a lot of the time so this hasn’t been the same earth shattering event for them that it has been for most people. Agorists are logical people who have seen this coming and are often prepared to survive if they need to, should shit truly hit the fan.

…you use private encrypted messaging apps and email for communication wherever possible.

It doesn’t matter if you talk about “illegal stuff” or not, it’s just a good idea to get in the habit of not handing all your information over to the authorities via Google and Facebook. I think everyone should value their privacy way more than they do but I notice those taking it most seriously are often agorists.

…you live off of your skills. 

This is something I learned from my parents. They had their special interests they latched onto and the skills that came from them. How they survived financially was dependent on the skills they held, most of which did not come from formal schooling. For my mom it was warehouse gardening, selling drugs, selling plants etc. My Dad could fix car bodies and do mechanical work, paint cars, sell cars and restore old cars. For me, it’s crafts, web design, writing and editing, podcast audio engineering, graphic design, transcription, and more.

…you own more tools than anything else.

I made the connection recently, when going through everything I own now, that most of my belongings are tools for my crafts and it’s been that way for as long as I’ve pursued agorism. When I moved to Mexico, what I brought with me were tools: fiskars axes, shovels, cast iron pans, etc. Regular people own a lot of frivolous crap. Agorists are more likely to buy something pretty only if it’s got a function. At least that’s how I work.

…your best friends are those you do business with and they started as business partners.

Agorists are known for making friends of their business partners. There’s nothing I respect more than someone who hustles just like I do. The people I respect most are the ones I work closest with because I can see the work and passion they put into what they do. Some people make business partners out of “friends” and that rarely goes well for either the business arrangement or the friendship. Smarter people make friends out of business partners because if they can prove themselves in business, you know they are going to at least make an equal effort as friends.

…you don’t know what day it is most of the time.

I work a hardcore freelancing lifestyle so I do what I want, when I want.  Most of the time if you ask me what day it is, I can’t tell you. And I love that cause my life has stopped being about time spent doing something and more about what I accomplish. As far as I’m concerned, that leads to a more unique and adaptable lifestyle.

An agorist is clearly a different breed of anarchist, one whose worth is clearly rooted in action — not just in creative mindset. These people often risk lives and personal freedom to live a life on their own terms. We are hard working, have skills and love the pursuit of true money. For us, money can buy happiness because money means more tools to do the things we love. These are the people still running their “non-essential businesses” during the pandemic to support their families and those they love.

So, are you an agorist?