the Contrarian

Expressing one's own opinion which differs is fine; presenting an alternate opinion simply to provoke argument discussion is best reserved for an organised debate.

Monica is one of the most interesting posters on this forum. I have also never seen her indulge in personal attacks, as far as I am aware she is fair and balanced in her responses.

I echo Galaxy 11.04 regarding M0nica's posts.

Gransnet is a forum where alternative view points are positively welcomed as long as respectful and fair. I enjoy posters putting forward alternative view points that further open up discussion- and do not think they should instead be directed to "an organised debate'.

Debate on Gransnet is interesting and welcome. It would be to Gransnet's detriment, imho if it becomes a forum merely where posters in sequence just post their opinion on a topic without any actual debate.

Calendargirl

Reported.

What for. 🤷‍♀️

petra

Calendargirl

Reported.

What for. 🤷‍♀️

A post by Jessicabrown, which HQ have deleted.

She had made the same spam post on about 14 threads, all of which I reported and they have now gone.

M0nica On the contrary, having people putting different views, or putting a different view when every one else is in agreement, both leading to discussion and exchange of views is the very essence of aa good discussion.

M0nica, I see this as being an enabler rather than a contrarian. Someone willing to state a different view allows others to think about their own stance more deeply and with greater clarity.

I have met a contrarian in the sense of the OP’s experience and have no wish to do so again. She blighted an expensive post grad course I was taking. In the end a group of us talked over her and she eventually ‘flounced’. Not very professional of us, and we weren’t proud, just desperate not to waste our time and money.

I am surprised the Tutor did not intervene. Challenging and defending different views is a vital part of Higher Education.

Debates happen frequently in every day life, far beyond Higher Education.

Debate frequently happens on discussion forums like Mumsnet, Tik Tok, X - at the dinner table, in the work place, within personal relationships etc etc.

As long as debate is respectful and not toxic there is no reason Gransnet posters need miss out on the fun. No poster is forced to join in any debate if they have no interest.

A contrarian isnt a person with a different opinion its a person who deliberately takes the opposing opinion having heard your opinion . Thats a different thing alotogether . They just cant agree and go along with what the other says . They would see agreement as weak. Its very annoying. Its a personality disorder really .

Absolutely, Soozikinzi; their aim is not a debate to find a solution in response to a question or proposition, but point-scoring and undermining what they regard as the opposition.

I agree with what M0nica writes on this thread, and like her I just state my own opinion and don’t worry if it doesn’t fit with what lots of others think.To do that would just be a sheep.And this is quite different to what SORES describes, that kind of behaviour comes with having some sort of personal relationship be it a sister/ friend/colleague who are always out to put one over on you where they can.

I am accustomed, especially in childhood, to being described as a 'contrarian' 'always taking the opposite view, just to be awkward' are both comments I am very familiar with.

I am sorry Soozikinzi but having heard one opinion i will often put forward an opposing view. mainly because the first opinion is on a subject I have never given much thought to, so I immediately do so, by putting forward the opposing view and seeing how it fares.

Obviously, if it is a subject is one I have already had reason to think about and I am in agreement with the person putting it forward, I will agree with them.

I think attitudes like this are sometimes instinctive, almost genetic. We are a neurally diverse family and I think I am very like my maternal grandmother, who died when I was 14. DD is the same. Even her teachers commented that whenever there was a discussion in class she was almost always arguing the minority view.

I do not think it coincidental that she works in banking, in business resiliance, where she is paid to find all the flaws in the company's security systems, not just software weaknesses, but managerial and systematic thinking processes. I understand she is very good at it!