Maybe it’s because, universally, parenting begins with “NO!”  By the time we find our voice and attempt our first baby steps toward asserting our individuality, “no” is the most prevalent word in our emerging vocabularies.  The most cursory scan of any publicly peopled place would provide example to the shrill assertions in word, tone and body language of children’s contrary behavior, often for…well, for no reason whatsoever.  But, while no one likes to be the brunt or bear witness to such tantrumy, disrespectful conduct, the well-honed, woefully-evolved adult variation is even less palatable.

I don’t think it’s just me, (although I more and more react to off-handed denials of my thoughts and positions as full frontal attacks), but it seems like too often, the first, almost immediate, (as in not enough time to digest the wisdom being offered), knee-jerk reaction to almost anything, is of a real or cynical or simply uncategorized contrary nature.  There’s that trite adage, (or maybe it’s a Bartlett quote), that we all like to attribute to our mothers, about not saying anything if ‘there’s nothing nice to say’.  Well, either mothers have long ceased the dissemination of this particular life lesson or it has been overpowered by the proliferation of ‘snide’, as portrayed on TV and in movies and video games.  Simply being contrary is the basis for religious dogma, sports enthusiasm, dietary selection, roundness of the 6,000-year-old Earth, style of men’s underwear, racial acceptance and…oh, yeah, political doctrine.

I just realized I’ve got nothing more to say…wouldn’t want to piss of my Mom.