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Are You a Contrarian?

Hello.  My name is Josiah.  I am a contrarian.

"What is a contrarian?" you ask.  A contrarian is someone who likes going against the grain.  A contrarian is someone who disagrees with everyone just because agreeing with other people is boring and cliche.  A contrarian believes, whether he knows it or not, that harmony is overrated and accord is too easy.

As I said, I am by nature a contrarian.  It's a struggle every day, but I'm better than I used to be,  I hope.

So, how do you know if you're a contrarian?  Here are 10 signs that indicate that you just might be a contrarian.

1) If your first response to being called a contrarian is vehement denial, you're probably a contrarian.

2) If you only comment on Facebook posts with which you disagree, you're probably a contrarian.

3) If you use the mad face emoji twice as much as the like and love emojis combined, you're probably a contrarian.

4) If find a way to disagree with other people even when you essentially agree with them, you're probably a contrarian.

5) If your first thought when anyone say something about anything is, "Yeah, but...," you're probably a contrarian.

6) If you analyze brief, positive statements of belief in order to point out why they are 100% accurate, you might be a contrarian.

7) If you view every discussion as an opportunity to show how obscure your views are, you're probably a contrarian.

8) If you view inspirational posts as an opportunity to point out theological, political, or grammatical errors, you're probably a contrarian.

9) If seeing other people revel in camaraderie causes you to be thrown into fits of borderline mania, you're probably a contrarian.

10) If you're super ticked off right now because this is making you feel self-conscious, you're probably a contrarian.

Being a contrarian is a burden that some of us must bear.  It can make us irritable, erratic, and generally unlikable, but don't worry--there is hope!  Maybe someday we'll learn to keep our mouths (and fingers) shut!

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