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What are contrarian ideas?

Author

Emily Baldwin

Updated on March 16, 2026

What are contrarian ideas?

Contrarian investing is an investment strategy that involves bucking against existing market trends to generate profits. The idea is that markets are subject to herding behavior augmented by fear and greed, making markets periodically over- and under-priced.

What is a contrarian person?

Definition of contrarian : a person who takes a contrary position or attitude specifically : an investor who buys shares of stock when most others are selling and sells when others are buying. Other Words from contrarian Did you know?

What type of person is a contrarian?

Contrarians may be seen as courageous, unconventional, counterintuitive thinkers, able to withstand herding pressures and even abuse from crowd-following conformists. Others may see them as maverick, out-of-touch, denialists ‘living on another planet’ and unable to see the obvious.

What is a social contrarian?

The word contrarian derives from the word contra which means against. Apropos, a contrarian is a person who goes against something. The term is used usually in the investment sphere when one wants to define an investor who buys shares of stock when most others are selling and sells when others are buying.

Is a contrarian a bad thing?

Even Jeff Bezos says, “You have to remember that contrarians are usually wrong.” There’s often a good reason the vast majority of people take one side when it comes to solving a problem or making a decision. It isn’t necessary, or even very helpful, to always take the opposing view.

Are people born contrarian?

Many contrarians are later-born children, who are less likely than firstborns to uphold the status quo—sometimes because an older sibling has already claimed the conventional achiever role in the family. Contrarians—low in agreeableness on the Big Five personality scale—are not concerned about social graces.

How do contrarians get along?

“Focus on your goals, stay within your boundaries, and work to move things forward. If the relationship is close, someone you really care for or someone you can’t avoid, it is worth trying to address what is underneath the competition.” Next up is the gadfly. Gadfly contrarians make people think.

How do you talk to contrarians?

In the moment, tell the person how it makes you feel when they try to override your opinion or feelings on an issue. “Say to them, ‘When you say that it makes me feel ______,’” Smith said. “Ask them to respect how you feel by not taking such a confrontational approach when talking to you.

How can we help contrarians?

Ask their opinion before you give yours. Then you can find something to agree with, no matter how small. It increases the chances of finding alignment earlier rather than later. When they contradict you, simply says, “Tell me more.” This way you’ll find out what’s driving them.

Is it bad to be contrarian?