Dare to go against popular opinions and conventional advice

The power of contrarian thinking - daring to disagree can transform your path

Sep 16, 2024

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Mindset

Productivity & consistency

Dare to fail your way to success - Moon Arica

Imagine standing at a crossroads where every sign points in the same direction.

Follow the conventional wisdom, stick to the beaten path.

The safe route.

The expected choice.

It’s comforting, familiar, and seems the right way.

Yet, there you are, feeling an irresistible pull.

Towards the opposite path

The one less travelled, the one that dares to challenge the norm.

That was exactly how I felt growing up.

Everyone says:

Study and get high qualifications
Get a well-paid job
Get married and have 3 kids, with both boys and girls.
If you only have girls, try till you get at least one boy.
(I know someone who got 5 girls. They gave up after that.)

All these people mean well, but should you be following their advice?

That’s the question I asked myself when I started writing.

We writers are surrounded by a lot of people who have made it:

High profile copywriters
Newsletter owners who pop into your gmail everyday
People who teaches how to earn $10,000 a month or more

They are full of advice.

I’m not discounting them nor their advice.

After all, why re-invent the wheel when we’ve got one already rolling?

When you look at:

what’s trending
what’s popular
what’s getting likes,

you know these work, because these are the safe routes.

But even with these glaring results, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we should take a different, more authentic path.

So I asked:

Do you dare to be different?

Do you dare to go against the grain?

We are conditioned to seek approval and fit in with the crowd.

The well-trodden path is safe and predictable.

We feel safe, comfortable, and reassured walking it.

I was much conflicted starting out.

You might also have these feelings:

💢 Overwhelm of contradictory advice

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on what you should or shouldn’t do, and it is paralyzing.

💢 Fear of failure

What if you fail spectacularly because you didn’t follow the conventional path?

💢 Pressure to conform

The weight of societal and professional expectations feel crushing, maybe pushing you to stick with the norm.

💢 Feelings of self-doubt

If so many people are saying the same thing, could they all be wrong? Are you being stubborn?

Yet the contrarian in me tells me:

Conventional mindset leads to mediocrity and missed opportunities

Are you willing to face the challenge?

To trust your instincts and not follow the advice everyone holds sacred.

If you are having some conflicting thoughts right now, here’s the thing about contrarian thinking.

It’s not about rejecting advice for the sake of it.

But about questioning the status quo and exploring alternatives.

Think of it as:

💚 1. Authenticity over conformity

Embracing what truly resonates with you, even if it diverges from popular opinion.

Make authenticity your compass.

Your stories
Your beliefs
Your experiences
Your unique perspective

What’s real for you is what sets you apart.

People are drawn to what’s authentic because they can feel the difference.

You’re not following a script. You’re sharing a story only you can tell.

Rejecting conformity takes courage, but it’s where you find your voice, your strength, and your true potential.

Authenticity leads to deeper connections, because you attract the right people by being unapologetically you.

💚 2. Innovation through disagreement

The most groundbreaking ideas come from daring to challenge conventional wisdom.

It’s easy to follow the well-worn path, but innovation happens when someone has the courage to ask, “What if we do it differently?”

Disagreement sparks creativity because you’re forced to think outside the box, you

Question assumptions
Consider alternatives
Explore uncharted territory

The best ideas are born from the willingness to disagree with what “everyone” thinks is the right way.

Disagreement also breeds resilience.

When you go against the grain, you will face resistance.

But through that resistance, you build resilience.

Defending and refining your contrarian ideas will lead to even greater innovation.

💚 3. Freedom in divergence

Breaking free from the mould allows you to craft a unique path that reflects your true self and aspirations.

You permit yourself to craft your life.

It’s liberating as you’re no longer bound by external expectations.

You’re not living according to someone else’s rulebook.

Instead, you create your own.

One that fits your vision of success, happiness, and fulfillment.

Freedom comes when you trust yourself enough to walk away from that pressure and pursue what truly resonates with you.

When you stop following the crowd, you open the door to creative freedom and self-expression.

That’s when you begin to do your best work.

💚 4. Empowerment through choice

By choosing to go against the grain, you’re choosing to empower yourself.

Contrarian thinking is less about defiance and more about alignment with your personal truth and vision.

It’s about courageously stepping off the beaten path to forge a new trail.

That’s the moment you take ownership of your journey.

Each step you take down this self-defined path builds confidence, as you learn to trust your instincts and follow your intuition.

You have the potential to create work, ideas, or a lifestyle that is truly original and impactful.

How do you harness the power of contrarian thinking?

Here’s your action plan:

💦 1. Reflect on conventional wisdom

Start by listing the common pieces of advice or opinions in your field.

What are the established norms?

What are people generally expected to do or think?

💦 2. Identify your unique perspective

Ask yourself what feels misaligned with your personal vision or values.

What advice feels restrictive or outdated to you?

What ideas do you feel passionate about that go against the grain?

💦 3. Test your ideas

Before fully committing, test your contrarian ideas on a small scale.

Share them in small circles or experiment with a few projects.

Gauge the response and refine your approach based on feedback and results.

💦 4. Embrace authenticity

Make a conscious decision to prioritize your unique voice and perspective over conformity.

Write, create, or act in a way that feels true to who you are, even if it diverges from mainstream expectations.

💦 5. Communicate with confidence

When presenting your ideas or work, do so with conviction and clarity.

Be prepared to articulate:

why your view is valuable
how it addresses a gap
what opportunities were overlooked

💦 6. Learn and iterate

As you move forward with your contrarian approach, stay open to learning and adjusting.

Contrarian thinking is a journey of exploration and growth, not a rigid path.

Dare to be different is more than being different

Daring to go against popular opinions and wise advice is about more than being different.

It’s about finding your own truth and forging a path that genuinely resonates with who you are.

reflecting on conventional wisdom
identifying your unique perspective
testing your ideas
embracing authenticity
communicating confidently
iterating based on feedback,

you’ll harness the power of contrarian thinking to transform your journey.

The most profound changes and innovations often come from challenging the status quo.

Embrace the courage to stand out and your unique path will lead to extraordinary results.

Be a forerunner, take the lead. - Moon Arica

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