Why not try the opposite?

If the car in front of you is driving well below the speed limit, why not not tailgate him?

If everyone is shouting at you (your boss, your kids, your clients), why not respond calmly?

And if it seems like everyone in your industry is trying to steal attention (rather than earn it), why not consider adopting a different strategy?

It doesn’t cost you any more to change your posture (or point of view), so why not try it and see what happens? Why not try the opposite?

Running towards a gorilla that’s escaped from the zoo (as opposed to evading it) isn’t a helpful way to be a contrarian. That’s not what I’m talking about. But finding an alternative exit (as opposed to be trampled by the mob of escapes) might be.

My point is, doing the unpopular thing (and being smart about it) often has its benefits.

In situations where it doesn’t serve you to reciprocate in kind, to adopt the posture of tit-for-tat, or to follow the crowd—or the habitual thing—it helps tremendously to at least acknowledge you have a choice about how you respond, and what you choose to initiate.