Speaking Your Mind Without Following the Crowd
A contrarian will disagree for the hell of it. A freethinker will honestly express what they think and feel. There’s a difference.
The late, great James Cagney had a fantastic nickname given to him by Jack Warner, former President and co-founder of Warner Brothers: “The Professional Againster,” as he was said to be quite the contrarian at times in real life.
See here for James’ 1974 AFI Tribute speech, in which — towards the end — he mentioned the moniker to big applause:
Cagney made a difference in his field. He was a role model as far as I’m concerned, never afraid to go against the crowd and say “no,” nor express his strongly-held opinions.
High-achievers tend to do that … which sometimes drives others crazy.
Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am not a contrarian for the hell of it. I am a freethinker, and I’ve been told I hold some strange opinions of my own. I’ll share some…
