Series of Very-Human-Prompts #1: REBELLION

Comfort is the Cage. Friction is the Cure.

An anthology of resistance, tenderness, and the generative act of saying "no" to the status quo.

The Prompt: We started with a simple, very human provocation: "Share stories, inspiration, and ideas about Rebellion."

The Response: In a world that abstracts, defines, and analyzes, we rarely embody the big ideas we claim to be interested in. This anthology is an attempt to correct that. It is a collection of responses from a small sub-section of the human algorithm, exploring what it means to push back against forces that seek to make us smaller and more predictable.

What emerged wasn't a call for violent revolution or organized uprising. Instead, we found a tenderness in resistance. We found that while resistance keeps the fire at the core of our humanity alive, rebellion is the spark that ignites it.

Inside the Anthology

Organized into four movements—Quiet Resistance, Persistent Humanity, Natural Insurgency, and Radical Reprogramming —this collection invites you to explore the friction between who we are and the "way-the-world-is".

Featuring essays and provocations including:

• Tools for Rebellion: Andrea Brena on why opting out of algorithms and embracing the "quiet" friction of a Risograph printer or a self-hosted blog is a political act.

• The Ministry of Feeling: Adnan Arif’s narrative on what happens when Western designers try to "design happiness" for a city-state, and the quiet murmurs of resistance that follow.

• Sober Rebellion: Ella Murray & Euan on the "outerbody experience" of navigating club culture sober, and how removing the chemical buffer became an act of rebellion against the rebellion itself.

• Nature’s Hostile Takeover: Samar Younes on the "botanical education" of Beirut, where trees act as systems hackers, turning broken infrastructure into trellises without asking for permission.

• Chronopolitics of Disobedience: Malex Salamanques on Indigenous temporalities and "Active Hope" as a way to rebel against the linear march toward collapse.

• Existence Rebellion: Becks Collins on the defiant, desperate joy of the marginalized—clawing happiness from the hands of those who forbid it.

• Radical Reprogramming: J. Paul Neeley on the ultimate agency of "considering everything" and taking control of your attention as an act of defiance.

Why This Matters Now

We live in a state of cognitive dissonance. Current systems favor speed, abundance, and conformity. To rebel is not just to destroy; it is a generative act that illuminates possibilities for other ways.

This zine is not a manual for destruction. It is a study of our personal relationships with rebelliousness. It is for those who suspect that the "smooth city" is dead, and that the future belongs to the renegades, the quiet disobeyers, and the joyful insurgents.

The Format: Digital Assest. PDF. Designed and printed by Sorriso, the original publication is meant to be held, read, and used. Consider the responses written here as further prompts to your own thought and action. This digital scan of the original is ment to be used in the same way. Wrigth your own responses in the generous margins.

‍Join the Rebellion.

What We Learned (A Note from the Editors)

• Nobody mentioned the wars.

• Nobody called for destruction.

• Everyone found friction.
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The line between resistance and rebellion blurred and shape-shifted. We discovered that the daily effort of resistance protects the capacity for rebellion. This is important data. All change starts with ourselves.

Are you ready to flip the switch from passive to present?

School of Critical Design

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