Finish Talking So I Can Disagree
by How to deal with Contrarians.
You know the type; takes the anti of your pro. Doesn’t matter the topic. Doesn’t matter the logic. Whatever it is you seem to ’support’, No.
The other day, in one of those Inquisitions Mrs. K has with her son, she agreed with him that the biggest mistake she ever made was getting involved with his father. Relating the contents of the so called conversation; “He doesn’t seem to catch the fact that if his father and I didn’t have a relationship, he would not be born.”
This kind of instant other side is a common cloak for deepseated animosity and resentment which has no actual basis. It is the kind of mindless dislike children may have for someone, where all they can say is; “I don’t like Aunt Grace.” No why, no explanation, and all attempts to find the ‘why’ are futile. Adults don’t grow out of it, they learn to create reasons for it.
Creating an ex post facto reason is the purpose of these Antis.
At meetings they can be detoxified by saying; “Well, whatever opinion I give will be attacked by Simone, so let her give her opinion first.” Simone will babble something, but the flag has gone up. In other conversations, when you are asked anything, reply; “I don’t feel like arguing now, just give me your opinion and I’ll agree with it.”
Or, as Mrs. K, get someone to advocate against his own existence.
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