I am a d.a.

My roommate (Amanda) has noticed since living here in the same apartment with me for the past year that I will say the opposite of nearly everything she says. I had never paid much attention that I did that until she pointed it out. Now I find myself doing it all the time, pretty much to anyone. I have heard my family tell me since I was little that I would argue with anything, anyone, anytime, but I always dismissed it as just my family giving me a hard time for not agreeing with them. Other than my family no one had ever really mentioned it to me until Amanda.

She calls me "d.a." for devil's advocate. And I suppose that I really do that, though I'm not sure why. It's not like I set out to do it just to be on the opposite side. In my mind I really think that I believe what I'm saying and I'm making a real point. Like today, my roommate was talking about work and how she hated it and HAD to go. I was responding in my usual fashion: she always has a choice; eventhough she depends on money from work to meet her budget, she still ultimately has a choice of skipping work and not making budget or going and meeting it. For example, people choose to skip and not meet their budget all the time; that's where debt comes from. It may not be a good choice, but it's a choice nonetheless....

She interrupted my rant here and asked me why I always have to take the opposite side. I was primed to defend my answer: "technically it's true..." That's always my loophole; I only argue things that I think are at least technically true, but what a load of crap to be arguing and defending with someone going to a job they hate. Though she probably should have just smacked me upside the head, she instead lashed me with the mighty tongue with " oh just fold up your portable soap box and go back to your room..."

What a great way to put it. I do seem to have a perpetual portable soap box that I apparently LOVE to climb upon and debate at a moment's notice. When pointed out to me lately how much I ascend that box, I have discovered that I'm not always truly honest...I don't really believe everything I argue for. So why do I do it? Why? Any answers are welcome.