Do you have a healthy dose of orneriness, or are you a chronic people-pleaser? Drop your most stubborn opinion in the comments.
But I’ve started to think that a little bit of orneriness—judiciously applied—is not a character flaw. It is a survival mechanism.
We tend to use the word ornery to describe a mule that won’t cross a stream, or a grandfather who refuses to use a smartphone, or a cat that knocks a glass off the table simply because the table exists. Do you have a healthy dose of orneriness,
The ornery person isn’t usually violent. They are resistant. They feel the current of the crowd pulling them toward the latest trend, the latest outrage, the latest obligation, and they dig their heels into the mud.
We hear the "bad-tempered" part and we run for the hills. Nobody wants to be the grump at the party. But I want to focus on the second half: Stubborn. It is a survival mechanism
Go on. Be a little difficult today. The world will try to move you, but you don't have to budge.
Think about the people you actually trust. Are they the people who agree with everything you say? Or are they the ones who, when you propose a truly stupid idea, squint at you, cross their arms, and say, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all week”? They are resistant
There is a particular kind of glint in the eye of an ornery person. It is not the bright flash of anger, nor the dull haze of apathy. It is a low, steady burn. A “go ahead, try me” flicker.