Diffrint Lab · Script-free card deck

Direct Care Deck

Rest. Refuse. Reclaim. Connect. Disobey. Play.

Sometimes care means changing how you feel. Sometimes it means changing what is making you feel that way.

This version does no matching or scoring. Browse all 92 cards, and stop whenever you find something that fits what you actually have right now.

Practice having more choices.

The six verbs are non-hierarchical. REST is not a lower level than DISOBEY. PLAY is not a reward for doing enough. The goal is maximum agency at acceptable cost.

Nothing here is a dare. Green and Yellow describe expected consequences, not courage, seriousness, or political worth.

Use personalized Direct Care Give me some mischief Methodology and sources

What Green and Yellow mean here

Green: negligible expected consequences. Still use ordinary judgment and read any safety note.

Yellow: a low-stakes action that can create awkwardness or annoy somebody. Check whether you can afford that before trying it.

The first 60 cards are ordinary Green and Yellow Direct Care. The final 32 cards come from the Higher-Consequence companion set and include their context, action level, and consequences.

Seven Yellow cards

Check the consequence first

If the likely friction is not workable today, use the gentler Green link on that card. A Yellow card is not a challenge to prove anything.

Let somebody be mildly disappointed: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
No excuse required: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
Hand it back: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
Be slightly inconvenient: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
Question the rule: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
Ask for the accommodation: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.
Skip one unnecessary apology: awkwardness.

If the stakes are bigger

Check the cost before the act

This static deck does not decide whether Orange or Red consequences are acceptable for you. If you are already considering a situation with serious consequences, ask:

What could this realistically cost in relationships, work or school, money, public identification, legal consequences, or physical safety?
Which of those costs are off the table today?
What would make you stop, leave, or take a less exposed role?
Who has actually agreed to support you, and what can they realistically do?
What recovery, access, medication, transport, food, or quiet will you need afterward?
Is there a lower-cost version that still serves what you want?

Higher exposure is not better. Red is not an achievement. Stopping, downshifting, or doing nothing are valid outcomes.

This is a consequence check, not tactical instruction. It does not provide methods for damaging property, evading authorities, violence, concealment, or bypassing surveillance.

One way in

REST

The world does not get all of you.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Become useless

For twenty minutes, refuse to be useful. Do something because you like it, or do nothing at all. No skill-building, no catching up, no content, no organizing, no turning rest into preparation for later work.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Authoritarian politics reduces people to functions. Capitalism is happy to do the same. A life worth defending needs time that belongs to neither.

Why this is political: Authoritarian politics reduces people to functions. Capitalism is happy to do the same. A life worth defending needs time that belongs to neither.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Miss something on purpose

Pick a stretch of time and let the feed move without you. News, messages, discourse, alerts: let most of it pass. Keep one genuinely necessary channel open if you need one and ignore the rest until the time is up.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Crisis makes attention feel permanently requisitioned. Propaganda, platforms, employers, and movements can all benefit from that reflex. Being unreachable for a while keeps some of your attention yours.

Why this is political: Crisis makes attention feel permanently requisitioned. Propaganda, platforms, employers, and movements can all benefit from that reflex. Being unreachable for a while keeps some of your attention yours.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Eat before having an ideology

If you have not eaten and food is available, eat the easiest thing you can get into yourself. This is not a cooking challenge and it does not have to be nutritionally impressive. If food is not available, leave this one. Scarcity is material, not a mindset problem.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: May cost money
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Follow any dietary or medical guidance you already rely on.

Why this is political

No politics worth having requires you to pretend the body is optional. Hunger is a condition to answer, not a test of discipline.

Why this is political: No politics worth having requires you to pretend the body is optional. Hunger is a condition to answer, not a test of discipline.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Leave it half-done

Choose one thing that can safely remain unfinished today. Stop where you are. Leave yourself a note about the next step if that will make tomorrow easier, then walk away from it.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Do not abandon something whose interruption creates a real safety, care, legal, or time-critical problem.

Why this is political

A task is not entitled to the last of your energy just because you started it. Capacity gets a vote too.

Why this is political: A task is not entitled to the last of your energy just because you started it. Capacity gets a vote too.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Answer one body demand

Answer the most obvious body request you have been postponing. Bathroom. Water. Medication you already take as directed. A different position. A warmer layer. Taking off the thing that hurts. Pick the one that is asking loudest.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Bodies are where work, fear, repression, disability, grief, and exhaustion land. Treating yours as material reality is more useful than pretending commitment can outrun it.

Why this is political: Bodies are where work, fear, repression, disability, grief, and exhaustion land. Treating yours as material reality is more useful than pretending commitment can outrun it.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Take the quietest minute you can get

Make the next minute less loud. Turn away from the screen, move to the edge of the room, lower what you control, close your eyes if that works where you are, or use the ear protection you already have. You do not need to earn the minute.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Environments impose a pace on bodies. Reducing the input for a minute is one way to stop letting the room set all the terms.

Why this is political: Environments impose a pace on bodies. Reducing the input for a minute is one way to stop letting the room set all the terms.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Remove one irritant

Change one sensory thing that is making the space harder to inhabit. Dim a light, silence a sound, move a smell, change a texture, stop a vibration, cover a visual distraction. Fix the thing you can reach and leave the rest alone.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Leave alarms, signals, and other safety-critical equipment alone.

Why this is political

People are routinely expected to adapt themselves to hostile environments. Sometimes the environment should be the thing that changes.

Why this is political: People are routinely expected to adapt themselves to hostile environments. Sometimes the environment should be the thing that changes.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Witness once, not forever

If you are following a painful story because looking away feels like abandonment, choose one solid account and read it once. Save the fact, name, or source you want to remember. Then stop consuming repetitions of the same harm for now.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If the material is hitting you hard enough that you cannot settle afterward, skip the witnessing part today.

Why this is political

Bearing witness is different from feeding yourself into an endless stream of images and outrage. Fascist violence does not become more serious because you hurt yourself watching it.

Why this is political: Bearing witness is different from feeding yourself into an endless stream of images and outrage. Fascist violence does not become more serious because you hurt yourself watching it.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Waste an hour

Give an hour no job. Sleep, stare, read, wander around, listen to something, play a game, lie on the floor, switch activities halfway through. Do not grade whether it restored you efficiently.

Time: About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Even rest gets colonized by productivity language. An hour can be yours without becoming an investment in a better worker, organizer, citizen, or future self.

Why this is political: Even rest gets colonized by productivity language. An hour can be yours without becoming an investment in a better worker, organizer, citizen, or future self.

REST · Green: negligible expected consequences

Let grief be ugly and boring

For a while, stop asking grief to teach you anything. Cry, lie down, stare at the wall, hold something, complain, feel numb, feel stupid, feel nothing. No ritual, analysis, lesson, or political usefulness required.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now, Need something discreet, In public

Safety note: If grief is becoming an immediate safety crisis, this activity is not enough support for that moment.

Why this is political

Loss does not owe anybody a productive outcome. Being changed by something does not obligate you to turn the damage into work.

Why this is political: Loss does not owe anybody a productive outcome. Being changed by something does not obligate you to turn the damage into work.

Back to the six verbs

One way in

REFUSE

Something is taking more than you want to give it.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Don't answer yet

Take one nonurgent request that normally gets an instant response from you and leave it unanswered for now. Decide later whether the answer is yes, no, less, or nothing.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

A request becomes a command when you lose the space between receiving it and deciding. Put the space back.

Why this is political: A request becomes a command when you lose the space between receiving it and deciding. Put the space back.

REFUSE · Yellow: check the consequence first

Disappoint somebody a little

Say no, not today, or not that much to one optional request you do not want. Let the other person have an ordinary amount of disappointment without rushing in to erase it.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Choose a low-stakes situation. If saying no could threaten housing, income, safety, immigration status, or other necessities, use a lower-consequence card instead.

Want less friction? Try Don't answer yet instead.

Safety note: Choose a situation where a no will not threaten housing, income, immigration status, safety, or another necessity.

Why this is political

If everyone else gets protected from inconvenience by spending your time, your needs disappear before negotiation even starts.

Why this is political: If everyone else gets protected from inconvenience by spending your time, your needs disappear before negotiation even starts.

REFUSE · Yellow: check the consequence first

No excuse required

Refuse one optional thing without submitting evidence for the refusal. 'I can't do that.' 'Not this time.' 'That doesn't work for me.' Stop there unless you want to say more.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public, Need something discreet

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Use this only where a concise refusal is reasonably safe. Materially coercive situations require a different strategy.

Want less friction? Try Don't answer yet instead.

Safety note: Use this where a direct refusal is materially safe enough for you.

Why this is political

A no that only counts after somebody approves the reason is not much of a no.

Why this is political: A no that only counts after somebody approves the reason is not much of a no.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Kill one task

Delete one nonessential task from today. Not postpone, optimize, delegate, or squeeze it in later tonight. Remove it.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

A to-do list can become a little private command structure. Sometimes the useful move is abolition, not better management.

Why this is political: A to-do list can become a little private command structure. Sometimes the useful move is abolition, not better management.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Go off duty for an hour

Take one hour you control and close intake. No new favors, chores, volunteering, discourse, or requests unless something truly urgent happens. The hour does not need a productive purpose.

Time: About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Availability is labor. Other people do not get an unlimited claim on yours just because they know how to reach you.

Why this is political: Availability is labor. Other people do not get an unlimited claim on yours just because they know how to reach you.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Let the gap show

The next time a group asks who can take something, do not be the first person to erase the problem. Wait. Let the silence exist. Let somebody else volunteer, let the group rethink the task, or let the task die.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, A few people, Community / group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

When one reliable person makes every gap disappear, the group never has to organize around its actual capacity.

Why this is political: When one reliable person makes every gap disappear, the group never has to organize around its actual capacity.

REFUSE · Yellow: check the consequence first

Give it back

Return one task or decision that landed on you without becoming yours. Say what you finished, what remains, and who or what body owns the next decision. Then stop managing it from the shadows.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, A few people, Community / group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Use this where handing the responsibility back is reasonably safe and does not abandon a person who depends on you for immediate care.

Want less friction? Try Stop volunteering first instead.

Safety note: Do not abandon immediate care that another person is depending on you to provide.

Why this is political

Responsibility has a habit of sliding toward whoever is easiest to guilt. Put it back where it belongs.

Why this is political: Responsibility has a habit of sliding toward whoever is easiest to guilt. Put it back where it belongs.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Leave without the last word

Exit one argument, thread, feed, group chat, or comment section that is keeping you there through irritation alone. Mute it, close it, walk away. Let somebody else be wrong on the internet without your supervision.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Not every provocation deserves access to your attention. Refusal includes refusing the demand to keep performing opposition on somebody else's stage.

Why this is political: Not every provocation deserves access to your attention. Refusal includes refusing the demand to keep performing opposition on somebody else's stage.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Close the intake

For the rest of today, accept no new commitments. New asks get a no or a later answer. Deal with what is already yours and stop growing the pile.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Permanent urgency is one of the easiest ways to make capacity politically invisible. Closing intake forces the existing load to count.

Why this is political: Permanent urgency is one of the easiest ways to make capacity politically invisible. Closing intake forces the existing load to count.

REFUSE · Green: negligible expected consequences

Stop racing

Take one thing you already have to do and work at the pace the task and your body require. If nobody set a real deadline, stop inventing one. If the deadline is real, do not add a second imaginary clock on top of it.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Real deadlines and safety requirements still exist. The target here is the extra speed you added yourself.

Why this is political

Speed is a discipline. Workplaces, platforms, and crisis culture train people to enforce it on themselves even when nobody is currently holding the stopwatch.

Why this is political: Speed is a discipline. Workplaces, platforms, and crisis culture train people to enforce it on themselves even when nobody is currently holding the stopwatch.

Back to the six verbs

One way in

RECLAIM

Take something back.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Delete one little spy

Open the permissions for one app or account you control. Turn off one kind of access it does not need for the way you use it: location, contacts, microphone, camera, background activity, ad tracking. One switch is enough.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Keep permissions you rely on for safety, accessibility, authentication, or a function you want.

Why this is political

Surveillance gets power from defaults and resignation. Revoke one piece of access you never meant to donate.

Why this is political: Surveillance gets power from defaults and resignation. Revoke one piece of access you never meant to donate.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Break one attention hook

Add friction to one thing designed to pull you back in. Kill a nonessential notification, move the app, log out, disable autoplay, remove the shortcut. Make it work a little harder to get you.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Platforms spend enormous resources learning how to interrupt you. Turn their own settings against the attention hook.

Why this is political: Platforms spend enormous resources learning how to interrupt you. Turn their own settings against the attention hook.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Fix the room for a body

Change one piece of a space you control or have permission to change so a body has to fight it less. Put out the chair. Move the obstacle. Label the confusing thing. Put water where people can reach it. Make the charger obvious. Fix one stupid friction point.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: Just me, One other person, A few people
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Usually free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Need something discreet

Safety note: Keep exits, accessibility routes, fire safety, and other real hazards in mind.

Why this is political

Access should not depend on each person privately enduring whatever environment they were handed. Change the environment when you can.

Why this is political: Access should not depend on each person privately enduring whatever environment they were handed. Change the environment when you can.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Take back a little privacy

Make one thing less exposed. Close the door or curtain, turn the paper over, put the notebook away, move the personal object, choose the less visible seat, use headphones as a boundary if that works where you are.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Privacy is control over access. Institutions, platforms, coworkers, family, strangers, and comrades do not automatically deserve everything they can see.

Why this is political: Privacy is control over access. Institutions, platforms, coworkers, family, strangers, and comrades do not automatically deserve everything they can see.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Clean up your digital trail

Spend no more than an hour reducing unnecessary exposure on accounts and devices you control. Check a few things that matter to you: public profile fields, old sessions, app permissions, ad settings, unused integrations, recovery information. Stop when the hour ends.

Time: About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Do not remove authentication, account recovery, accessibility, or safety features you rely on.

Why this is political

Privacy should not require becoming a full-time security professional. A few less-permissive defaults can still reduce how much of your life gets handed over automatically.

Why this is political: Privacy should not require becoming a full-time security professional. A few less-permissive defaults can still reduce how much of your life gets handed over automatically.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Make one corner yours

Take one surface, shelf, chair, bedside area, or patch of room you control and arrange it around how you use it. Put what you need within reach. Remove one annoyance. Let the space admit that you live there.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Control over space is political even at small scale. People deserve environments arranged around bodies and needs, not only around property, aesthetics, or whoever had authority first.

Why this is political: Control over space is political even at small scale. People deserve environments arranged around bodies and needs, not only around property, aesthetics, or whoever had authority first.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Put a fence around an hour

Choose a block of time in the next few days that belongs to you and make that visible before somebody else claims it. Calendar it, close the door, send the unavailable message, write the note. The time can be used for absolutely nothing.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Other people's demands tend to arrive with notifications, deadlines, and witnesses. Your own time disappears more quietly. Give it some structure before it gets taken.

Why this is political: Other people's demands tend to arrive with notifications, deadlines, and witnesses. Your own time disappears more quietly. Give it some structure before it gets taken.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Learn who decides

Pick one system that shapes your day and learn one thing about how it works. Who sets the rule? What triggers the fee? Where does the data go? Who can change the setting? What appeal or exception exists? Stop after one answer that changes how you understand the system.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Use public information and systems you are authorized to access.

Why this is political

Power likes to look automatic. Learning where a decision lives can turn a black box back into something made by people.

Why this is political: Power likes to look automatic. Learning where a decision lives can turn a black box back into something made by people.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Evict one ad

Remove one commercial demand from a space or account you control. Unsubscribe. Turn off the shopping alert. Delete the store shortcut. Hide the recommendation widget. Throw away the catalog. One less salesperson gets to live in your field of vision.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Commercial speech gets treated like it deserves permanent access to public and private life. It doesn't.

Why this is political: Commercial speech gets treated like it deserves permanent access to public and private life. It doesn't.

RECLAIM · Green: negligible expected consequences

Keep something unposted

Let one thing from today exist without becoming content. Keep the photo private. Leave the joke with the people who heard it. Make the drawing and show nobody. Enjoy the view without producing proof.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

A life that is constantly documented becomes data, audience material, and evidence for other people's systems. Some things can simply belong to you.

Why this is political: A life that is constantly documented becomes data, audience material, and evidence for other people's systems. Some things can simply belong to you.

Back to the six verbs

One way in

CONNECT

Powerlessness changes around other people.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Borrow it

Before buying one thing you only need temporarily, ask whether somebody you know or a group you are already part of has one you can borrow. One ask. If the answer is no, move on.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public

Safety note: Use ordinary judgment for medical, safety-critical, or specialized equipment.

Why this is political

Private ownership is a terrible answer to every temporary need. Borrowing keeps one small part of life outside that logic.

Why this is political: Private ownership is a terrible answer to every temporary need. Borrowing keeps one small part of life outside that logic.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Make one need shareable

Take one thing that would be easier with another person and turn it into a concrete ask. 'Can you remind me tomorrow?' 'Can you sit here while I start?' 'Can you bring that when you come over?' Make it small enough that a no is survivable.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, Online people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public

Why this is political

Isolation turns every need into a private logistics problem. A specific ask gives somebody a real way to show up.

Why this is political: Isolation turns every need into a private logistics problem. A specific ask gives somebody a real way to show up.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

No meeting

Spend time with one or a few people without producing anything. Eat, sit around, watch something stupid, play a game, gossip, coexist online, talk about something besides the work. If somebody starts making an agenda, laugh and change the subject.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Movements rot when every relationship becomes recruitment, planning, care labor, or organizational maintenance. People have to get to be people together.

Why this is political: Movements rot when every relationship becomes recruitment, planning, care labor, or organizational maintenance. People have to get to be people together.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Ping somebody you miss

Send one person a low-pressure sign of life. A dumb photo, a joke, 'thinking of you,' a link, whatever sounds like you. No emotional summit meeting required.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: One other person, Online people
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Fascist politics feeds on isolation and suspicion. Connection does not have to begin with a grand disclosure to work against that.

Why this is political: Fascist politics feeds on isolation and suspicion. Connection does not have to begin with a grand disclosure to work against that.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Leave a bridge for tomorrow

If you want people but cannot deal with people right now, make tomorrow's contact easier. Put the name in a reminder. Draft the unsent message. Set aside the thing you meant to return. Pick a time you might have more room.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Solitude and connection are not enemies. You can protect one tonight without abandoning the other.

Why this is political: Solitude and connection are not enemies. You can protect one tonight without abandoning the other.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Ask for company, not solutions

Ask somebody for exactly the kind of presence you want. 'Sit with me.' 'Talk to me about something normal.' 'Can we be on the phone without fixing this?' Give them a job they can understand: company.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: One other person, Online people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Care gets easier when nobody has to become an expert, therapist, strategist, or rescuer before they are allowed to be useful.

Why this is political: Care gets easier when nobody has to become an expert, therapist, strategist, or rescuer before they are allowed to be useful.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Offer something with edges

Offer one concrete thing you can spare without resentment. A ride you were already taking. An extra portion. Ten minutes of proofreading. A borrowed tool. One task. Say what the offer is and where it ends.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Mutual aid needs limits if it is going to survive. 'I can do this' is more trustworthy than 'I am always available.'

Why this is political: Mutual aid needs limits if it is going to survive. 'I can do this' is more trustworthy than 'I am always available.'

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Hang out like it isn't work

Do something with another person that cannot be mistaken for organizing, networking, mutual-aid logistics, or self-improvement. Watch garbage. Eat leftovers. Trade songs. Sit outside. Send terrible drawings. Be useless together.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Solidarity that only exists while producing something is just another workplace with better politics.

Why this is political: Solidarity that only exists while producing something is just another workplace with better politics.

CONNECT · Green: negligible expected consequences

Make yourself replaceable

Take one recurring thing that only you know how to do and teach one willing person enough to cover it once. One page, one walkthrough, one handoff. The goal is not a training program. The goal is that you can disappear for a day without the whole thing collapsing.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: One other person, A few people, Community / group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Share only information the other person is authorized to receive.

Why this is political

A group that cannot survive one person's absence has turned that person into infrastructure. Redundancy is how people get to rest.

Why this is political: A group that cannot survive one person's absence has turned that person into infrastructure. Redundancy is how people get to rest.

Back to the six verbs

One way in

DISOBEY

Practice choosing instead of automatically complying.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Don't ask

Find one harmless choice that belongs to you and make it without seeking approval. Clothes. Food. Your room. Your free time. Your own schedule where you control it. Notice the urge to ask anyway and keep moving.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: This applies only to choices that are genuinely yours and do not override somebody else's consent, safety, property, or obligations.

Why this is political

Authority gets rehearsed long before anyone issues an order. Stop rehearsing it where no authority is required.

Why this is political: Authority gets rehearsed long before anyone issues an order. Stop rehearsing it where no authority is required.

DISOBEY · Yellow: check the consequence first

Be a little inconvenient

State one real need or preference even though accommodating it will require somebody to adjust. Ask for the accessible seat. Correct the order. Name the time that works. Ask them to fix the mistake. Let yourself create normal human friction.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Use a low-stakes context. If the request could create retaliation involving housing, employment, money, safety, or another necessity, choose something gentler.

Want less friction? Try Pick the harmless preference instead.

Safety note: Choose a situation where the retaliation risk is genuinely limited.

Why this is political

Frictionless people are easy to manage because they erase themselves before anyone else has to negotiate.

Why this is political: Frictionless people are easy to manage because they erase themselves before anyone else has to negotiate.

DISOBEY · Yellow: check the consequence first

Ask who made the rule

Take one rule or instruction that affects you and ask a boring question about its authority. Who decided this? What is it for? Is it still required? Who can make an exception? You are not required to pretend the command explains itself.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Choose a context where asking is reasonably safe. Do not use this card when questioning the rule could expose you to serious institutional, legal, financial, or physical consequences.

Want less friction? Try Do a permission audit instead.

Safety note: Use this where asking will not expose you to consequences you have already ruled out.

Why this is political

Rules get mistaken for nature when their authors disappear. Put a human decision back behind the rule.

Why this is political: Rules get mistaken for nature when their authors disappear. Put a human decision back behind the rule.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Break your own script

For an hour, change the order of things that are yours to change. Eat the weird combination. Sit in the other place. Wear the thing. Start with the part you like. Ignore one private ritual whose only enforcement mechanism is 'this is how I always do it.'

Time: About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Obedience is not only imposed from above. It can survive as a routine long after the reason disappears. Break one harmless loop and see what was holding it together.

Why this is political: Obedience is not only imposed from above. It can survive as a routine long after the reason disappears. Break one harmless loop and see what was holding it together.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Change the setting

At work or school, change one setting you already have the right to control so it works better for you. Text size. Chair position. Notification volume. Task order. Document view. Break reminder. Do not ask for permission you already possess.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Institutions train people to experience defaults as orders. A setting is not a command just because somebody else chose it first.

Why this is political: Institutions train people to experience defaults as orders. A setting is not a command just because somebody else chose it first.

DISOBEY · Yellow: check the consequence first

Ask for what you need

Ask for one practical access change you want: captions, a chair, written instructions, more processing time, a quieter spot, a different meeting format. Say the need plainly instead of minimizing it until nobody has to do anything.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, At work or school, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness, someone being annoyed.

Before you try it: Formal accommodation systems can have legal or workplace implications. This card is for ordinary low-stakes requests, not legal advice about asserting rights.

Want less friction? Try Use the setting you control instead.

Safety note: Scope: an ordinary access request, not legal advice about a formal accommodation process.

Why this is political

Access is not a personal favor granted to the least inconvenient disabled person. Environments have obligations too.

Why this is political: Access is not a personal favor granted to the least inconvenient disabled person. Environments have obligations too.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Do the shit version

Make the bad version of one harmless thing perfection has been blocking. The ugly first sentence. The lazy meal. The crooked drawing. Laundry folded badly enough to be wearable. Finish only enough to make the thing useful or funny.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Do not use this approach for work where mistakes could seriously harm someone or create major legal, medical, financial, or technical consequences.

Why this is political

Standards can become little cops in your head. Sometimes 'good enough' is how you get your own time back.

Why this is political: Standards can become little cops in your head. Sometimes 'good enough' is how you get your own time back.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Let your taste win

Choose one harmless thing you like before editing yourself for seriousness, fashion, respectability, age, gender expectations, professionalism, or somebody else's imagined opinion. Wear it, eat it, play it, sit there, say it that way.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Conformity often works through anticipation. Nobody has to police the preference if you erase it first.

Why this is political: Conformity often works through anticipation. Nobody has to police the preference if you erase it first.

DISOBEY · Yellow: check the consequence first

Stop apologizing for existing

Catch one apology that is about taking up normal human space rather than repairing harm. Asking a question. Needing clarification. Having a preference. Replying at a normal pace. State the thing without putting 'sorry' in front of it.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public

Check the consequence first. Nothing here is a dare.

Likely consequences: awkwardness.

Before you try it: Do apologize when you have caused harm or broken a real commitment. This card is about unnecessary apologies, not avoiding accountability.

Want less friction? Try Pick the harmless preference instead.

Safety note: When you caused harm or broke a real commitment, apologize. That is separate from this exercise.

Why this is political

Apology is useful for repair. As a tax on ordinary presence, it trains deference.

Why this is political: Apology is useful for repair. As a tax on ordinary presence, it trains deference.

DISOBEY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Sort rules from reflexes

Write down a few things you routinely ask permission for. Mark the ones that truly involve consent, shared resources, a real rule, or serious consequences. Find one that is just habit. Next time it comes up, decide it yourself.

Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Other people's consent and legitimate shared decisions stay real.

Why this is political

Autonomy gets sharper when you can tell an actual boundary from the ghost of one. The goal is not to ignore consent. It is to stop inventing authorities.

Why this is political: Autonomy gets sharper when you can tell an actual boundary from the ghost of one. The goal is not to ignore consent. It is to stop inventing authorities.

Back to the six verbs

One way in

PLAY

Freedom should occasionally be fun.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Translate five commands

Collect five commands you encounter: BUY, VERIFY, KEEP OUT, SUBSCRIBE, SMILE, STAND HERE, ACCEPT. Translate each one into the bluntest honest sentence you can. 'Give us data.' 'Spend money.' 'Move your body where we put the arrow.' Keep the translations to yourself or share them with a friend.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Need something discreet, In public, No screens

Why this is political

Power loves euphemism and design language. Making the command sound like a command again can make it a lot less majestic.

Why this is political: Power loves euphemism and design language. Making the command sound like a command again can make it a lot less majestic.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Make something that cannot be monetized

Make a thing that has no audience, market, portfolio value, campaign use, or improvement plan. Bad drawing. Tiny sculpture. Three-line poem. Fake medal. Weird arrangement of objects. Destroy it afterward if that makes it funnier.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

A culture that asks what everything is for deserves some objects with no answer.

Why this is political: A culture that asks what everything is for deserves some objects with no answer.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Make up a game nobody can master

Invent a game around whatever is already there. Points for absurd categories. A scavenger hunt for useless details. A competition based on luck or terrible judgment. If somebody joins, they get equal power to change the rules.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me, One other person, A few people, Online people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Keep strangers, danger, and humiliation out of the game.

Why this is political

Play is one of the few places where rules can be visibly invented, mocked, revised, and abandoned without pretending they came from nature.

Why this is political: Play is one of the few places where rules can be visibly invented, mocked, revised, and abandoned without pretending they came from nature.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Waste five minutes beautifully

Use five minutes on something that makes the day stranger and produces nothing. Arrange your snacks like a tiny monument. Wear the ridiculous thing at home. Draw moustaches on your own junk mail. Name every plant in the room after failed empires. Stop when the five minutes are over or keep going if it got good.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Authoritarian culture is obsessed with discipline, seriousness, hierarchy, and proper use. Useless pleasure is a small refusal of all four.

Why this is political: Authoritarian culture is obsessed with discipline, seriousness, hierarchy, and proper use. Useless pleasure is a small refusal of all four.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Rank the propaganda

Invent a private rating system for ads, corporate slogans, motivational posters, official signs, or institutional branding around you. Most desperate. Most threatening while pretending to be friendly. Most expensive-looking lie. Most likely written by committee. Award points with unnecessary seriousness.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Propaganda works partly by controlling the frame. Mockery is one way to take the frame back.

Why this is political: Propaganda works partly by controlling the frame. Mockery is one way to take the frame back.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Hold the worst art contest

With willing people, choose a form nobody needs to be good at and compete to do it badly. Worst horse. Worst anthem. Worst logo for an imaginary bureaucracy. Worst dramatic reading of a parking notice. Let everybody help invent the categories.

Time: A project
People: A few people, Community / group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Competence and status organize too much of social life. A contest where excellence is useless can be a relief.

Why this is political: Competence and status organize too much of social life. A contest where excellence is useless can be a relief.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Shrink the world for a minute

For a few minutes, give your attention to one pattern that feels good enough to stay with: a blanket weave, shadows on the wall, repeating shapes, one color, a rhythm, the edge of an object. Let the rest of the room lose importance for a minute.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Stop if the pattern becomes irritating, dizzying, compulsive, or overstimulating.

Why this is political

The loudest thing in the room is not entitled to your attention. For a minute, choose the scale of the world yourself.

Why this is political: The loudest thing in the room is not entitled to your attention. For a minute, choose the scale of the world yourself.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Spot the costume of authority

Find five objects, words, layouts, uniforms, titles, barriers, logos, or rituals whose job is to make status look natural. Give each one a ridiculous costume name. 'The Very Important Lanyard.' 'Executive Grey Carpet.' 'Premium Rope of Exclusion.'

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Observe the signals. Do not harass or photograph strangers.

Why this is political

Hierarchy spends a lot of money on costumes. Once you can see the costume, the rank underneath can look less inevitable.

Why this is political: Hierarchy spends a lot of money on costumes. Once you can see the costume, the rank underneath can look less inevitable.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Laugh at power with a friend

Send or make one joke for somebody you trust about an institution, boss, fascist slogan, corporate euphemism, petty authority, or absurd piece of bureaucracy that has been getting under your skin. A terrible drawing absolutely counts.

Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, Online people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now, No screens

Safety note: Punch at power or shared absurdity, not at somebody's identity or vulnerability.

Why this is political

Authoritarians need grandeur, fear, and inevitability. Ridicule is not a strategy by itself, but it can puncture the atmosphere they depend on.

Why this is political: Authoritarians need grandeur, fear, and inevitability. Ridicule is not a strategy by itself, but it can puncture the atmosphere they depend on.

PLAY · Green: negligible expected consequences

Change the rule midgame

Start a harmless game with one rule, then change it because you feel like it. If other people are playing, everybody gets a vote. Keep changing bad rules until the game belongs to the people playing it.

Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing / walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: This applies to games and activities you control, not safety rules or somebody else's consent.

Why this is political

Rules are easier to challenge when you have recent evidence that people made them and people can remake them.

Why this is political: Rules are easier to challenge when you have recent evidence that people made them and people can remake them.

Back to the six verbs

32 Higher-Consequence cards

Care when the stakes are bigger

These cards are available to browse, but browsing one is not the same as choosing it for today. Context describes the situation around you. Action describes the likely exposure created by the card itself.

Check the listed consequences before acting. Higher exposure is not better. Stopping, stepping back, choosing a less exposed role, or doing nothing are valid choices.

Orange context

When consequences may reach beyond awkwardness

These cards include both direct actions and lower-exposure preparation or aftercare.

Orange context · Orange action

Make them reassign it

Take one optional role or responsibility you are done carrying and refuse it where the people who can reassign the work will hear you. Keep it short. 'I am not doing this anymore. Someone else needs to take it.'

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences, Public exposure
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, At work or school, In public, No screens

Safety note: Use this where the relationship and visibility consequences are genuinely on the table for you.

Why this is political

Invisible refusal changes nothing if everybody quietly keeps routing the work back to the same person. Make the missing labor visible enough that the group has to deal with it.

Why this is political: Invisible refusal changes nothing if everybody quietly keeps routing the work back to the same person. Make the missing labor visible enough that the group has to deal with it.

Orange context · Orange action

Put the limit on the record

Write the boundary down and send it to the person or institution that keeps crossing it. What you will do, what you will not do, or when you are unavailable. Keep the message about the limit, not a confession about your life.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Workplace or school consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If retaliation could threaten housing, income, immigration status, schooling, or safety, treat that consequence as real before you send anything.

Why this is political

Institutions benefit when every limit stays private, verbal, and endlessly renegotiable. A written line is harder to pretend never existed.

Why this is political: Institutions benefit when every limit stays private, verbal, and endlessly renegotiable. A written line is harder to pretend never existed.

Orange context · Orange action

Sign your name

Choose one statement, letter, petition, declaration, or piece of public solidarity you agree with and put your name on it. Read the thing first. Decide what identification you are willing to attach and leave the rest out.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Public exposure, Workplace or school consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Use this only when being identifiable is an accepted consequence today.

Why this is political

Public solidarity can break the fiction that everyone quietly consents. Your name is still yours to spend, and you get to decide when the political value is worth the exposure.

Why this is political: Public solidarity can break the fiction that everyone quietly consents. Your name is still yours to spend, and you get to decide when the political value is worth the exposure.

Orange context · Orange action

Make them answer for the tracking

When an institution asks for optional location sharing, monitoring, always-on status, or another tracking measure, ask in writing what it collects, who sees it, how long it is kept, whether it is required, and what non-tracking option exists.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Workplace or school consequences, Relationship consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If challenging the tracking could cost you work, school, housing, or safety, keep those consequences in the decision.

Why this is political

Surveillance gets normalized by being treated as a neutral feature instead of a power relationship. Make somebody name the requirement and defend it.

Why this is political: Surveillance gets normalized by being treated as a neutral feature instead of a power relationship. Make somebody name the requirement and defend it.

Orange context · Orange action

Show up. leave when you said.

Go to the contentious public action you want to attend, but decide your leaving time before you get there. Put the time somewhere you will see it. When it arrives, check whether you still actively choose to stay instead of letting the crowd decide for you.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: About an hour, A project
People: One other person, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Public exposure, Legal consequences, Physical danger
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, In public

Safety note: Use current local information and your own consequence limits. No protest or legal tactics are included here.

Why this is political

Commitment is not measured by how completely a mobilization consumes you. Staying politically alive includes keeping the power to leave.

Why this is political: Commitment is not measured by how completely a mobilization consumes you. Staying politically alive includes keeping the power to leave.

Orange context · Yellow action

Map the watching

On a route you already use, make a rough personal map of the visible surveillance and control infrastructure around you: cameras, license-plate readers, access gates, private security signs, hostile architecture, warning systems. Add who appears to operate it when that is plainly posted or publicly documented.

Context: Orange
Action: Yellow
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Public exposure, Awkwardness
Works with these current limits: No money, Limited standing or walking, In public

Safety note: Observation only. Do not damage, disable, block, conceal, evade, or tamper with surveillance or access-control equipment.

Why this is political

Surveillance works better when it becomes scenery. Naming the infrastructure makes the political choice to watch people visible again.

Why this is political: Surveillance works better when it becomes scenery. Naming the infrastructure makes the political choice to watch people visible again.

Orange context · Orange action

Make the paper trail

Take one criticism you have already been saying privately and put it into a channel that creates a record: a grievance, complaint, public comment, signed letter, or other documented demand. Say what happened, what you want changed, and who is responsible for responding.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour
People: Just me, Online people, Community or group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Public exposure, Workplace or school consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, At work or school, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Assume a named submission may be retained or disclosed. Leave out secrets, admissions, and other people's private information.

Why this is political

Institutions count on grievances staying verbal, private, and deniable. A record can become evidence, leverage, or a point other people can organize around.

Why this is political: Institutions count on grievances staying verbal, private, and deniable. A record can become evidence, leverage, or a point other people can organize around.

Orange context · Orange action

Quit the role before it eats you

Step down from one visible optional role that is using more of you than you agreed to give. Tell the people who need to reassign it. Hand over only what is necessary and resist the urge to write an apology essay for leaving.

Context: Orange
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences, Public exposure
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If the role is tied to income, housing, immigration status, schooling, or safety, do not treat this as a resignation script.

Why this is political

A movement that turns roles into moral claims on people's bodies reproduces the domination it says it opposes. Departure has to remain possible.

Why this is political: A movement that turns roles into moral claims on people's bodies reproduces the domination it says it opposes. Departure has to remain possible.

Orange context · Green action

Name the price

Write down what this action could realistically cost you in relationships, work or school, money, public identification, legal trouble, and physical danger. Mark anything you cannot absorb right now. Do not turn an unaffordable consequence into a courage challenge.

Context: Orange
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Risk is material. Pretending everybody can afford the same consequences is how privilege gets mistaken for commitment.

Why this is political: Risk is material. Pretending everybody can afford the same consequences is how privilege gets mistaken for commitment.

Orange context · Green action

Set your walk-away point

Finish this sentence before you enter the situation: 'I leave, pause, or change roles when ___.' Make the answer concrete enough that you will recognize it under pressure.

Context: Orange
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: You can leave earlier than the threshold. The line is a floor for reconsideration, not a promise to stay until then.

Why this is political

Adrenaline, group momentum, shame, and loyalty can all keep a person moving after consent has gone stale. Decide what withdrawal looks like while your head is still yours.

Why this is political: Adrenaline, group momentum, shame, and loyalty can all keep a person moving after consent has gone stale. Decide what withdrawal looks like while your head is still yours.

Orange context · Yellow action

Build the support before the risk

Tell one trusted person what you are considering, what consequences you have ruled out, and what you might need afterward. Ask what they can offer. Get a real yes instead of assigning them the role in your head.

Context: Orange
Action: Yellow
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Share only what the other person needs to know to provide the support you are asking for.

Why this is political

Collective care means support is organized before the crisis and consent applies to the supporter too.

Why this is political: Collective care means support is organized before the crisis and consent applies to the supporter too.

Orange context · Green action

Clear the landing

Cancel one optional obligation after the higher-consequence thing before you do the thing. Put food, medication, quiet, a ride, sleep, or company into that space if you know you will need it.

Context: Orange
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

Political participation has a recovery cost. If every action assumes somebody can instantly return to work, school, caregiving, or organizing, the cost gets dumped onto individual bodies.

Why this is political: Political participation has a recovery cost. If every action assumes somebody can instantly return to work, school, caregiving, or organizing, the cost gets dumped onto individual bodies.

Orange context · Green action

Cut the role down

Take the version you were considering and remove one layer of exposure: less time, less visibility, fewer responsibilities, a supporting role, or a later arrival. If it still violates a hard limit, cut again or do not go.

Context: Orange
Action: Green
Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Why this is political

The most exposed role is not automatically the most politically serious one. Movements need people who can keep choosing their level of involvement.

Why this is political: The most exposed role is not automatically the most politically serious one. Movements need people who can keep choosing their level of involvement.

Orange context · Green action

Write the line

Write three sentences for yourself: 'I will ___. I will not ___. I am done if ___.' Keep them short enough to remember when other people start having opinions about your choices.

Context: Orange
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Keep the note private if losing it would expose information you do not want exposed.

Why this is political

A boundary written before pressure arrives is easier to recognize as yours when the room gets louder.

Why this is political: A boundary written before pressure arrives is easier to recognize as yours when the room gets louder.

Back to all sections

Red context

When arrest, retaliation, or physical danger may already be present

Most of these are lower-exposure care, preparation, support, or exit actions. The one Red action is plainly marked.

Red context · Green action

Decide what kills the plan

Name two changes that would make you cancel, leave, or move to a lower-risk role. New police presence. A health change. Losing the ride home. The person you rely on dropping out. Whatever would materially change the decision for you.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: This is decision support for a serious-consequence context, not instruction for carrying out the risky act. You can cancel, step back, change roles, or not participate at all.

Why this is political

High-stakes action can acquire its own momentum. A cancellation rule keeps changed conditions from being mistaken for a test of nerve.

Why this is political: High-stakes action can acquire its own momentum. A cancellation rule keeps changed conditions from being mistaken for a test of nerve.

Red context · Green action

Put the numbers somewhere

Put the support contacts you would want in an emergency in one place you can access: a trusted person, relevant medical information you choose to carry, and legal-support contact information if that belongs in your situation. Keep it short enough to be useful.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Keep this to support planning, not tactics. Stopping, stepping back, changing roles, or deciding not to participate remains available. Do not use the contact card to plan concealment or evasion.

Why this is political

Serious consequences create care work. Organizing that care in advance is better than assuming somebody will improvise it after the fact.

Why this is political: Serious consequences create care work. Organizing that care in advance is better than assuming somebody will improvise it after the fact.

Red context · Green action

Know how you're getting home

Before you enter a serious-consequence situation, identify a real route to somewhere you can recover afterward. Check the ride, fare, mobility support, keys, transit hours, or person instead of treating 'I'll figure it out' as a plan.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: May_cost_money
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, In public, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: This is about preserving a realistic exit and recovery route. If that route does not exist, stepping back or not participating is a complete option.

Why this is political

Exit is part of consent. A movement is not freer because getting home depends on invisible money, mobility, or somebody else's last-minute labor.

Why this is political: Exit is part of consent. A movement is not freer because getting home depends on invisible money, mobility, or somebody else's last-minute labor.

Red context · Green action

Pack for the body you have

Check the boring things your body needs before and after this: prescribed medication, mobility or sensory supports, food, water, weather protection, menstrual supplies, a place to sit or lie down. If a basic need is missing, treat that as a material problem, not an attitude problem.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: May_cost_money
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Body and access needs outrank the plan. Stop, change roles, or do not participate if the basics you need are not available. Follow your existing medical instructions; this is not medical advice.

Why this is political

Militancy does not make bodies interchangeable. Access needs, chronic illness, pain, medication, hunger, and exhaustion remain political facts.

Why this is political: Militancy does not make bodies interchangeable. Access needs, chronic illness, pain, medication, hunger, and exhaustion remain political facts.

Red context · Green action

Make a real check-in

Ask one trusted person to be your check-in contact for a defined period. Agree on what counts as a missed check-in and what they are willing to do about it. Keep the arrangement simple enough that both of you understand it.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Use the check-in for support, not command or surveillance. Either person can step back, change roles, or not participate. Do not use it to coordinate evasion or concealment.

Why this is political

Support should increase agency, not create a private command structure. A good check-in plan gives both people clear limits.

Why this is political: Support should increase agency, not create a private command structure. A good check-in plan gives both people clear limits.

Red context · Green action

Clear tomorrow

Remove one optional obligation from the day after. Put the things you expect to need within reach now: food, medication, transport, quiet, sleep, company, childcare, whatever is real in your life.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Recovery planning does not obligate you to enter the situation. You can stop, step back, change roles, or not participate before any aftercare becomes necessary.

Why this is political

Aftercare is infrastructure. Calling it private weakness is how organizations hide the bodily cost of participation.

Why this is political: Aftercare is infrastructure. Calling it private weakness is how organizations hide the bodily cost of participation.

Red context · Green action

Know your money line

Write down the losses you cannot absorb: missed work, transport, childcare, replacement costs, legal expenses, whatever is relevant. If the plausible consequence crosses the line, treat that as a material limit rather than an invitation to prove yourself.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Treat an unaffordable cost as a reason to stop or downshift, not a challenge. Not participating is available. This is not financial or legal advice.

Why this is political

Risk is classed. Politics gets dishonest fast when people with money mistake their ability to absorb consequences for superior courage.

Why this is political: Risk is classed. Politics gets dishonest fast when people with money mistake their ability to absorb consequences for superior courage.

Red context · Green action

Decide what can be public

Decide which parts of your identity can be attached to this situation and which cannot: name, face, workplace, school, organization, public statements. Let the answer shape the role you take.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Privacy limits can determine the role or end the plan. Stepping back, changing roles, or not participating is valid. No concealment, disguise, or evasion tactics are provided.

Why this is political

Being identifiable costs different people different things. A movement that treats privacy as cowardice turns unequal vulnerability into pressure.

Why this is political: Being identifiable costs different people different things. A movement that treats privacy as cowardice turns unequal vulnerability into pressure.

Red context · Green action

Pick somebody who won't dare you

Choose support from somebody who can hear 'I'm leaving,' 'I changed my mind,' or 'I'm not doing it' without turning the moment into a loyalty test. Tell them directly that backing out is one of the outcomes they may need to support.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes
People: One other person, A few people
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Support should make it easier to say no. If the person pressures you to escalate, step back, change roles, or do not participate with them.

Why this is political

Solidarity that only works while you escalate is coercion with better branding.

Why this is political: Solidarity that only works while you escalate is coercion with better branding.

Red context · Green action

Move back a row

If the role you were considering is too exposed, take one that carries less visibility, legal risk, physical danger, or responsibility. Logistics, food, rides, accessibility, communications, childcare, cleanup, aftercare, or simply being available later may matter more than another body at the front.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 30 seconds, 5 minutes
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Moving away from the front is not failure. Keep downshifting until the role fits, or stop and do not participate if none of the available roles do.

Why this is political

The fetish for the front line erases the work that keeps people fed, mobile, connected, and able to come back.

Why this is political: The fetish for the front line erases the work that keeps people fed, mobile, connected, and able to come back.

Red context · Green action

Protect what they can hurt

If your political activity gives an employer, landlord, school, insurer, family member, bureaucracy, or hostile institution leverage over something you cannot afford to lose, pick the vulnerable part and shore it up before you take on more exposure. Line up backup care, handle paperwork, tell a trusted person, reduce a dependency, build a little financial room if you can, or change the role you are taking.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: You do not need to make every vulnerability disappear before you resist. If the cost cannot be made survivable, change roles or stop there.

Why this is political

Repression often moves through ordinary dependencies. Jobs, housing, healthcare, money, immigration status, school, and family pressure can all become tools of coercion. Protecting the parts of your life that make you easier to squeeze weakens that leverage.

Why this is political: Repression often moves through ordinary dependencies. Jobs, housing, healthcare, money, immigration status, school, and family pressure can all become tools of coercion. Protecting the parts of your life that make you easier to squeeze weakens that leverage.

Red context · Green action

Get yourself out of their spotlight

If fascists, harassers, hostile media, an institution, or an online mob has started concentrating attention on you, stop feeding the exposure. Hand off public-facing work, pause posting, remove public information you do not need out there, route inquiries through somebody else, and let other people carry visibility for a while.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If the attention keeps escalating, step back further. You do not owe anyone continued public availability.

Why this is political

Targeting works by making one person permanently available to scrutiny and reaction. Withdrawing access to yourself is not surrender. It denies the campaign against you fresh material and preserves your capacity.

Why this is political: Targeting works by making one person permanently available to scrutiny and reaction. Withdrawing access to yourself is not surrender. It denies the campaign against you fresh material and preserves your capacity.

Red context · Orange action

Make them come through the group

If somebody with power is trying to isolate you into a private confrontation, disciplinary process, intimidation attempt, or political conflict, stop handling it one-on-one. Bring in the people who legitimately belong there: union representation, coworkers, comrades, an advocate, witnesses, or somebody you trust. Make the institution deal with you as part of a relationship network, not as an isolated individual.

Context: Red
Action: Orange
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: One other person, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences, Workplace or school consequences, Public exposure
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: The group is there to reduce isolation, not to manage you. Step back from anyone who turns support into pressure or surveillance.

Why this is political

Isolation makes coercion cheaper. Bosses, schools, police-adjacent systems, harassers, and movement power brokers all gain leverage when they can deal with one person alone. Collective presence changes the balance.

Why this is political: Isolation makes coercion cheaper. Bosses, schools, police-adjacent systems, harassers, and movement power brokers all gain leverage when they can deal with one person alone. Collective presence changes the balance.

Red context · Orange action

Refuse to make your body the buffer

If a group's plan only works because your body, job, housing, immigration situation, disability, money, caregiving, or public identity is expected to absorb the consequences, refuse that arrangement. Make the plan change, redistribute the risk, or take a different role.

Context: Red
Action: Orange
Time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, About an hour
People: One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences, Workplace or school consequences, Financial consequences, Public exposure
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If the plan still depends on your body absorbing a cost you cannot carry, stop or change roles. That is a problem with the plan.

Why this is political

Movements can reproduce domination when the people with the least room are expected to be the shock absorbers. Risk distribution is a political decision.

Why this is political: Movements can reproduce domination when the people with the least room are expected to be the shock absorbers. Risk distribution is a political decision.

Red context · Orange action

Get the targeted person out of isolation

If you or someone close to you is being targeted, build enough human presence that nobody is absorbing it alone. Bring food, rides, childcare, company, task coverage, accompaniment, or somebody to sit with them after the meeting. If it is you, ask for the same things plainly.

Context: Red
Action: Orange
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: One other person, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Relationship consequences, Public exposure, Physical danger
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Do not turn care into another assignment for the targeted person. If showing up would increase their exposure, step back and ask what would help instead.

Why this is political

Fascist intimidation works partly by making people feel exposed, abandoned, and individually responsible for surviving it. Material solidarity makes isolation harder to impose.

Why this is political: Fascist intimidation works partly by making people feel exposed, abandoned, and individually responsible for surviving it. Material solidarity makes isolation harder to impose.

Red context · Green action

Take your life back from the campaign against you

If harassment, repression, surveillance, or fascist attention has started organizing your whole day, take one piece of your life back tonight. Sleep. See your friends. Cook. Have sex. Exercise. Play a game. Make something. Spend time with your kid. Pick something that reminds you the people trying to frighten you do not own your entire interior life.

Context: Red
Action: Green
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: Just me, One other person, Online people, A few people
Capacity: Barely functioning, Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Practically nothing
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: Do not use this to dismiss a real threat. Step back from the threat where you can without pretending it is gone.

Why this is political

Repression takes more than the moments when it is directly happening. It tries to occupy attention, relationships, sleep, and pleasure. Keeping a life larger than the threat is part of refusing that occupation.

Why this is political: Repression takes more than the moments when it is directly happening. It tries to occupy attention, relationships, sleep, and pleasure. Keeping a life larger than the threat is part of refusing that occupation.

Red context · Yellow action

Make the organization pay the care cost

If political work created the injury, exhaustion, lost wages, transport problem, childcare problem, legal expense, accessibility need, or recovery burden, put the cost back on the organization. Ask for money, meals, rides, coverage, childcare, fundraising, time off from duties, or whatever actually repairs the damage.

Context: Red
Action: Yellow
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Low, Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Someone annoyed, Relationship consequences
Works with these current limits: Cannot leave home, Need quiet, Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, Need something discreet, At work or school, In public, No screens, Sensory-sensitive right now

Safety note: If the group cannot or will not carry any of the cost, stop treating that as your private failure. Let it change what you give the group next.

Why this is political

A group that privatizes the cost of its politics can burn through people while calling it commitment. Care costs belong in the plan, the budget, and the division of labor.

Why this is political: A group that privatizes the cost of its politics can burn through people while calling it commitment. Care costs belong in the plan, the budget, and the division of labor.

Red context · Red action

Make the watching a problem

If automated surveillance is making you or your community less free to move, associate, organize, or exist without being logged, stop reorganizing your life around it as though the system were permanent. Join an effort aimed at getting it removed, defunded, shut down, or forced out. If that effort includes a high-consequence direct action, take only the role whose consequences are actually yours to carry.

Context: Red
Action: Red
Time: 20 minutes, About an hour, A project
People: One other person, Online people, A few people, Community or group
Capacity: Some, Plenty
Cost: Free
Consequences to consider: Public exposure, Legal consequences, Physical danger
Works with these current limits: Cannot make a phone call, No money, Limited standing or walking, In public, No screens

Safety note: This card names the target and the choice to resist it. It does not provide operational instructions for damaging equipment, defeating security, concealing evidence, or evading law enforcement. Step back or choose another role if the consequences stop being yours to carry.

Why this is political

Surveillance transfers freedom from the watched to the watcher. License plate readers, camera networks, face recognition, and access systems shape who can move anonymously and who becomes permanently legible to institutions. Making the system itself the problem is also a way of defending the space people need to live and organize.

Why this is political: Surveillance transfers freedom from the watched to the watcher. License plate readers, camera networks, face recognition, and access systems shape who can move anonymously and who becomes permanently legible to institutions. Making the system itself the problem is also a way of defending the space people need to live and organize.

Back to all sections

You can stop whenever you have enough.

This 92-card deck is a browseable fallback, not a test you finish. You do not owe it a reflection, a streak, or proof that you tried a card.

Back to Direct Care Methodology and sources Back to top

Direct Care Deck

Practice having more choices.

What Green and Yellow mean here

Check the consequence first

Check the cost before the act

REST

Become useless

Miss something on purpose

Eat before having an ideology

Leave it half-done

Answer one body demand

Take the quietest minute you can get

Remove one irritant

Witness once, not forever

Waste an hour

Let grief be ugly and boring

REFUSE

Don't answer yet

Disappoint somebody a little

No excuse required

Kill one task

Go off duty for an hour

Let the gap show

Give it back

Leave without the last word

Close the intake

Stop racing

RECLAIM

Delete one little spy

Break one attention hook

Fix the room for a body

Take back a little privacy

Clean up your digital trail

Make one corner yours

Put a fence around an hour

Learn who decides

Evict one ad

Keep something unposted

CONNECT

Borrow it

Make one need shareable

No meeting

Ping somebody you miss

Leave a bridge for tomorrow

Ask for company, not solutions

Offer something with edges

Make one thing common

Hang out like it isn't work

Make yourself replaceable

DISOBEY

Don't ask

Be a little inconvenient

Ask who made the rule

Break your own script

Change the setting

Ask for what you need

Do the shit version

Let your taste win

Stop apologizing for existing

Sort rules from reflexes

PLAY

Translate five commands

Make something that cannot be monetized

Make up a game nobody can master

Waste five minutes beautifully

Rank the propaganda

Hold the worst art contest

Shrink the world for a minute

Spot the costume of authority

Laugh at power with a friend

Change the rule midgame

Care when the stakes are bigger

When consequences may reach beyond awkwardness

Make them reassign it

Put the limit on the record

Sign your name

Make them answer for the tracking

Show up. leave when you said.

Map the watching

Make the paper trail