Always playing devils advocate

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Hi

Is it just me or do other people find themselves annoying other people
by always "playing devils advocate"
My dad always has and does this. One of my mom's friends played a trick on him one day and changed view points, he did too. I think I could be as bad.
I'am new here hope this has not been asked for a while if at all

what is "playing devils advocate,"

It's where you argue the unpopular opinion, although you may not support it, in order to discuss the topic in greater detail.

I do this at times, but it gets me in a lot of trouble because the topics are not meant to be argued, I guess. I've found that people who feel passionately about issues only want to be told that their opinions are correct.

Yes, I do a lot. I also use a lot of sarcasm but sometimes I am disturbed a bit when others do it.

Yes, I almost always do this.

I don't know why, but I find it pretty bothersome when a large group of people will blindly, and unanimously voice one opinion without so much as a fleeting thought in favor of the other. So at this point, I'll jump in and back up whatever it is they're all outright opposing, and try relentlessly to make them see things the other way. A majority of the time it's a waste to do it, since with many people the second they state an opinion in strong favor of one thing, they'll never change they're mind even in the face of undeniable evidence of why they were wrong. It's like some sort of ego battle people get into that makes it impossible for them to admit to anything. Personally I don't see the point of choosing to continue to be wrong, instead of changing your mind and finally being right.

Yes.

This is my life. I do it to myself. Every fact, every opinion, is constantly open to scrutiny. I will revisit my own existence and test it against the latest data to see if I still believe I exist.

So if someone brings up a topic, I will always "but then ,,," - though with a lot of people I shut my mouth.

Likewise my wife, equally into the spectrum but different; if one of us takes a stance, half the time the other will argue the other side. Then next time we will reverse positions.

NT relatives / associates do not do this. Some of them, I doubt they ever examine their beliefs.

I do that, from time to time. If I have an opinion, I express it.

Yes, I do this all the time!

Do you also find that your own contradictions are a source of annoyance?

I think human beings are naturally quite complex and contradictory but only a minority (such as ourselves) see it and find it offensive.

First of all: Welcome to WrongPlanet, notsurprised!

Secondly, Devil's Advocate is one term among several for Enneagram Type Six--my Enneagram type. Less harsh terms for Type Six include trooper and loyalist

As for playing the devil's advocate, I do that fairly regularly when
I'm in a serious conversation. Indeed, that's one big reason
why I personally opposed the invasion of Iraq.
The neo-con mob was shouting for war and then-President Dubya
(George W. Bush) was always saying Saddam Hussein had doomsday
weapons, but I never heard or saw anything that resembled evidence to me.
It was Bush's word against that of the UN arms inspectors only.

Last edited by Douglas_MacNeill on 18 Feb 2010, 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Very. My bf does this all the time, especially when the issue matters a lot to me, and not very much to him.

Yes, it helps me review something when I have both sides of an argument.