Contrarians
"You Contrarians just argue with everything, that's all you do!" "No, it isn't."Whatever the debate and no matter how important or petty the stakes, the Contrarians will argue the opposite point with near religious fervor. They will disagree for the sake of disagreeing, inciting argument for no reason other than to argue, or defend the most indefensible just to watch others squirm. Needless to say, they're not particularly popular. Contrarians can be found everywhere in the Megacorpolis, much to everyone's dismay, and will invite themselves into any and all conversations they come across. Though they've been recognized as an official sub-culture by the Computer, Contrarians argue that they aren't. In truth, most Contrarians don't consider themselves as such, but are part of another social structure first - a movement like the DIYbernetics, a corporation, a religion... But to the rest of Megacorpolis, they've become "one of those assholes".
ACTUALLY...
That's your take? Well, okay...To the lay-Contrarian, being a bit of a bastard is just an extension of their personality, a tic they can't really control. Most believe that they're playing devil's advocate, or pushing people to think or any number of other wacky excuses to just be difficult. They come from all walks of life, from slum-dwelling chipless to corporate executives. Don't expect much comradery between them, as they'd probably argue about that too.
Then there's the professional Contrarian. The ones who know exactly what they're doing and instead of recoiling in shame and disgust, they embrace it. They infest other sub-cultures like parasites, if parasites were particularly vocal.
There's significant overlap between some Contrarians and Trolls - making them occasional targets for Troll-Hunters.
The Contrarian Society
I'm pretty sure Roman numerals don't work that way. You're doing it wrong.No one is quite sure how Contrarians came to organize, but everyone wishes they hadn't. The Contrarian Society is the only recognized focal point of the Contrarian culture, perhaps speaking to some deep human need for organization even among people who just spend their entire day disagreeing about everything. Unlike most sub-cultures, the Contrarian Society have no physical spaces and no official meetings - probably because they know those would get firebombed. Instead, they maintain secret internet hideouts or meet in VR to select targets, organize harrassment, and all around be just real horrible people. There's not really any sort of greater scheme in play here, though some say that Corporations sometimes pay them off to stay off their social media or other spheres of influence. Joining the Society is by invitation only and members generally hide behind pseudoyms to avoid retaliation in meat-space. Meetings are infrequent and particularly argumentative, as it takes them a while to even agree on what to talk about. It doesn't have any ranks or roles, nor any rituals or traditions they adhere to. No one is even really sure how they even communicate at all - and no one is really in a hurry to ask them, since that means talking to a whole gaggle of Contrarians.
Sub-Cultures in Megacorpolis From DIYbernetics to Doomies, Megacorpolis is a constantly churning cauldron of ideas, niches, and reactions. Anything that becomes popular inevitably invites a counter-reaction, and the whole thing becomes a gigantic battle-ground of strange social Darwinism.
Why, though!?
Because they find it funny, mostly. Some are more delusional than that or just unpleasant humans, but many just relish the anger and frustration of others like a sort of psychic vampire. It is another fact that makes them closely related to the Troll sub-culture, although they beg to differ and will happily list all the reasons why you are wrong and should feel bad for thinking so."I don't think you understand what that article is saying." "I WROTE THE ARTICLE!"
The Internet
No matter how annoying they might be around the watercooler, the Internet is the Contrarians true home. There, behind a mask of anonymity and smug-looking profile pictures, Contrarians thrive. Social Media is particularly infested with Contrarians, to the point where several corporations are considering them a memetic infohazard - or they might just be tired of dealing with them, too.When two or more Contrarian will end up on opposite sides of an argument, the whole thing can quickly spiral out of control. Months of ad hominem attacks and retreading old ground makes previously pleasant parts of the internet more closely resemble something of a digital warzone.
I love it, reminds me of a lot of people on social media! Excellent nicely done!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting <3 :D
Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.