(Untitled)

[boulderbird]

I don't deal well with contrarians. I know a lot of people who like to argue for its own sake, but it's just not something I ever found entertaining. I don't understand the appeal

Comments

[gnomic_gnome]

Depends on who the contrarian is and what kind of relationship you have with the person - i.e. do you have to continue to interact with them - but my own instinct is to disengage or not engage at all because they tend to burn me out in the long run. Say something like, I don't feel like arguing for the sake of arguing; change topics; state there's no point of further debating since our assumptions/starting points are different; say you're not listening to what I have to say anyway so there's no point of continuing a one-sided conversation. Match their dismissiveness with a dismissiveness of your own!

[littlehoudini]

I think that gnomic_gnome has hit the salient point - is this someone you *have* to deal with or not? If not, just don't bother (though do so as politely as possible, of course).

I have once or twice been accused of being contrarian (and of course, I'm *not*) but I do admit I often take opposing views for the purposes of exploring an idea (regardless of which side of it I'm on - nothing like trying to defend a view opposite to yours, to really understand it). I rarely raise my voice.

I think men in general are more socialized to be outspoken and women to be less outspoken, which is why men tend to be more ready to state disagreement than women.

/two cents

[boulderbird]

I have a number of contrarians in my life. One of them is my boss.

[ginamariewade]

It's a dominance game. The only way to win is not to play. Whatever point you need to make, say it over and over again, as succinctly as possible, like a broken record, without deviation. That's the only solution.
Logic and reason mean nothing. The point is to get you upset and enjoy that part.