Member-only story
“Don’t Tell Me What To Do!”
I wanted to be a rebel, too. This is what my contrarian streak taught me about dealing with conspiracists.
I’ve never been the kind of person to quietly accept being told what to do.
It’s the very reason why I don’t cook from recipes or take gym classes, and why nearly all my bosses and teachers have hated me. Sure, that CrossFit class will get you results and your pizza dough will rise unlike mine, but is it worth not being able to decide what you want to do?
When I was about 13, I decided that people who believe in God don’t have to study evolution. I wasn’t religious and there was no such thing as a faith-based exemption to science in Finnish schools, so I must have learned it from American TV shows. Nevertheless, I decided to have a religious objection, and I expected my new views to cause quite a stir.
“Sure, just leave it blank on the exam and miss out on those points,” my teacher said. I was disappointed. Her simple acceptance and snark weren’t exactly what I had been looking for. What I wanted was a fight.
I’m a contrarian, too. That’s why, on some level, I understand the new generation of online conspiracists.
