How to Be Anonymous

To be anonymous is the opposite of being famous, and believe it or not, there are those who don't seek fame. In fact, some people who have found fame are anxious to lose it. Just as there are people who are born with beauty or charisma that makes them famous, there are some whose appearance or behavior is so average that they are naturally anonymous. For everyone else, becoming anonymous is a skill to be learned.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Define the population into which you wish to disappear. Unless you understand what average is, you can't expect to fit into it. Further, what's average in some places is not so in others. A Hawaiian shirt will attract just as much attention at a formal reception as a white tie and tails will at the beach.

2. Behave anonymously. However, this actually requires some degree of acute observation and awareness of surrounding circumstances. In general, it is best to avoid eye contact in crowds. However, occasional eye contact and friendliness exhibited as a smile and a salutation are necessary to avoid calling attention to oneself as a social miscreant. It's appropriate to say "Good morning" to a friendly appearing 85-year-old-woman. It's best to avoid any contact whatsoever with a group of angry protesters carrying signs.

3. Avoid creating public records that document your activities. Do not have a bank account, a credit card, a telephone, a cell phone, or a driver's license. Pay for bills in cash. Use a prepaid telephone to communicate. Use public transportation. Rent a post office box. Cash your paycheck at a different check cashing venue, rotating those places to avoid calling attention to yourself.

4. Don't be without documentation of citizenship. While not wanting to leave a record of yourself, it is important that you not be caught without ANY records. An official copy of a birth certificate and a social security card are generally enough to avoid having NO identity.

5. Find living arrangements where you are not the "resident of record." By checking the classified ads, it is usually possible to find someone looking for a roommate. By prepaying a month's rent, making sure all rent payments are on time, and behaving in a responsible, friendly fashion, you should be able to establish a relationship that maximizes your chances of stability. Paying in cash is a transaction that most roommates will not oppose.

6. Avoid behavior that destroys anonymity. If alcohol is to be consumed, it should be consumed in the privacy of your room and rarely to excess. Avoid even occasional use of recreational drugs. Do not characterize yourself as an isolate. Have a group of friends, but avoid close relationships.

7. Find employment where you are not in the public eye. Retail sales or working as a cashier are much less anonymous than stocking shelves, working as a bookkeeper, or a janitor.

Tips & Warnings

• It should be obvious that trying to be anonymous requires some rather significant sacrifices. It is probably appropriate to define one's motivations for wanting to be anonymous before embarking in an aggressive campaign to vanish from the face of the earth.