For me the contrarian impulse is that if Im arriving at the same conclusion as a large number of people, did I actually reason my way to that conclusion or am I

For me the contrarian impulse is that if Im arriving at the same conclusion as a large number of people, did I actually reason my way to that conclusion or am I letting unconscious social forces guide me? So, I play the devil's advocate. Then, after having challenged the conventional notions, I have more confidence in my conclusion. At the very least, I will usually have a more nuanced view. Ironically, being contrarian can itself be an unconscious social force to differentiate yourself; sometimes the herd is right.