I am an anationalist, i.e. I have no national identity. AMA

r/

Hello!

I neither have, nor do I want, a national identity.

I was born in one country but lived and grew up in six. I currently live in a country that I did not grow up in, and I suspect I’ll never move back to any of the countries I lived in as a child.

I don’t think it is necessarily bad to have a national identity, and I don’t look down on those who do have it. I do not think my anationalism makes me better than anyone else.

I do not like the term “citizen of the world”, and do not consider myself to be a world citizen. That terms implies that someone belongs everywhere, and I don’t believe that anyone on earth actually does belong everywhere.

Edit: I know most of you have probably never encountered an anationalist before, and that’s okay! We’re somewhat analogous to atheists, but in terms of national identity. We’re not uncommon in the Third Culture Kids crowd, which is a term referring to people who grew up in multiple countries.

Comments

  1. AnonymousBear223 Avatar
    1. What countries have you lived in?

    2. Do you resonate most with one? I.e. follow their customs, their mannerisms, accent maybe? etc

    3. Do you ever feel a bit left out in a sense? I.e. From not having that one country you call home?

    4. Which one was your favourite to live in, and which one is next on your list (if you do plan on visiting/moving in adult life)

  2. 42SpaceDogs Avatar

    What citizenship do you have? Is it the same country you were born in, or had you ever applied to become a citizen of an other country?

  3. DecentNectarine4 Avatar

    Where are your parents from?
    What’s languages do you speak and to what level?
    What does your accent sound like?
    Not so much a national identity but are there any foods you identify with / comforts that you had as a child?

  4. Civil_Existentialist Avatar

    No question, but I also don’t care about my national identity. However, I have to admit my nationality makes me very privileged compared with most parts of the world.

  5. SuperLehmanBros Avatar

    You ever saw that movie with Tom Hanks?

  6. Anne_Scythe4444 Avatar

    everyone on earth belongs everywhere! join the sovereign world government party r/Write_In_President

  7. Dramatic-Ad-3998 Avatar

    What you do for a living?

  8. cheese2042 Avatar

    Are you active in the political life of the contry you have the citizenship (Voting or more ) ? Or any country where you have lived ?

  9. GustavoistSoldier Avatar

    Where were you born?

  10. paecmaker Avatar

    Like most people I have only gotten into contact with “voluntery stateless people” via videos on youtube where they refuse to follow certain laws and starts fights with the police while filming.

    How’s your reasoning about those people?

  11. old_Spivey Avatar

    Internationalist or cosmopolitan are better terms

  12. MrDeo34 Avatar

    What passport/s do you have?

  13. Temporary-Truth2048 Avatar

    Seems like you’re working pretty hard putting yourself in a bucket so you aren’t put in another.

  14. Wherewereyouin62 Avatar

    Where are your four grandparents from?

  15. ElongatedMusket_---- Avatar

    Nation = people who have common blood and common soil. 

    Return to your ancestral land and you’ll find your nationality.