In a world that begs for our compliance—buy this, click that, agree with this, smile for that—stubbornness is the pause button. Orneriness is the voice that says,
It is the mechanic who refuses to let you drive away with a bad brake pad because “I don’t work that way.” It is the editor who scratches out your purple prose. It is the friend who refuses to validate your self-destruction. In a world that begs for our compliance—buy
Life will try to smooth your rough edges. Your job wants you docile. Social media wants you agreeable. The algorithm wants you predictable. Life will try to smooth your rough edges
We tend to use the word ornery to describe a mule that won’t cross a stream, or a grandfather who refuses to use a smartphone, or a cat that knocks a glass off the table simply because the table exists. The algorithm wants you predictable