You’re Not a Skeptic—You’re Just Scared
Contrarians think they’re enlightened. Tribalists think they’re righteous. Both are pitiful.
Skepticism is Healthy. Being a Contrarian is Not.
Truth is a slippery thing. We chase it, worship it, fight over it, and even kill for it. But if history has taught us anything, it's that truth is always a moving target—one that shifts with time, context, and understanding. This is why the smartest among us aren’t the ones who claim to “know” the truth, but the ones who are constantly questioning, refining, and evolving their understanding of it.
But here’s the problem: not all questioning is real questioning.
Some people think they’re skeptics when they’re really just contrarians. They believe that rejecting mainstream narratives makes them enlightened. They assume that the experts are always wrong and that believing the opposite of what is commonly accepted makes them superior. But contrarianism is not skepticism. It’s just a different flavor of blind faith—faith in one’s own assumptions rather than in actual inquiry.
And that distinction? It makes all the difference.
Base Level Thinking: Fear Masquerading as Intelligence
The Base Level individual is obsessed with control and driven by fear. Deep down, they’re terrified of not knowing, because not knowing means not being in control. And so, rather than embracing uncertainty and learning, they default to certainty at all costs—even if that certainty is based on nonsense.
To a Base Level mind, experts and institutions are a threat because they remind them of what they don’t know. Instead of seeing intelligence as something to admire, they see it as something to resent. The easiest way to feel like the smartest person in the room? Assume that everyone else is wrong.
This is how you get conspiracy theorists and compulsive contrarians. The Base Level mind would rather invent an explanation than admit they don’t know something. They would rather declare that all experts are corrupt than acknowledge that some people genuinely know more than they do.
Contradictory information stresses them out—not because they’re skeptical, but because it threatens their illusion of control. Instead of asking questions to learn, they ask questions to undermine. Instead of doubt leading to inquiry, doubt leads to assumption, conviction, and paranoia.
A Base Level person doesn’t want answers—they want to be right. And if the only way to be right is to make things up? So be it.
"The fool is not the one who questions everything. The fool is the one who already has all the answers."
Culture Level Thinking: Group Loyalty Over Truth
The Culture Level individual isn’t driven by power like the Base Level, but by belonging. They don’t think critically so much as adopt whatever their group believes. Their worldview is built on loyalty over logic, conformity over clarity.
They don’t question whether something is true or useful—they just ask whether it aligns with what their “team” believes.
Republicans who believe everything their party says? Culture Level.
Democrats who mindlessly regurgitate talking points? Culture Level.
Anyone who refuses to consider the validity of a perspective just because it comes from “the other side”? Culture Level.
To the Culture Level mind, truth is not about reality, it’s about identity. If the “other side” believes something, they must reject it, even if it makes sense. If their team adopts a position, they must follow it, even if it contradicts their previous stance. The point isn’t to discover what is true—the point is to stay on the right team.
Contradictory information stresses them out—not because it threatens their sense of control (like the Base Level), but because it confuses their group allegiance. If their team changes its stance, they feel lost. If an opposing viewpoint makes sense, they feel like they’re betraying their people.
"Loyalty to a team is not the same as loyalty to the truth. One will set you free. The other will own you."
This is why Culture Level individuals don’t think independently—they outsource their thinking to the group. And the moment someone starts thinking for themselves? The tribe turns on them.
Next Level Human: The Courage to Not Know
The Next Level Human operates differently. They are not obsessed with power like the Base Level or with belonging like the Culture Level. Instead, they are obsessed with growth, learning, and purpose.
To them, questioning is not about undermining or rejecting—it’s about understanding. They don’t just ask questions; they seek answers. And if those answers contradict their previous beliefs? Even better.
A Next Level Human does not fear being wrong—they fear remaining stagnant.
They know that truth is emergent, that knowledge is always in process, and that wisdom is built on mistakes, contradictions, and the humility to evolve.
"The strongest minds are the ones willing to shatter their own beliefs. The weakest are the ones who defend them at all costs."
The Contrarian Trap: Why Rejecting Everything is Just as Stupid as Believing Everything
Contrarians believe they’re the smartest people in the room because they refuse to go along with the mainstream. They think questioning everything makes them enlightened. But questioning is only useful if you’re actually looking for answers.
Contrarians aren’t questioning—they’re rejecting.
Skepticism is about open inquiry. Contrarianism is about default rejection. And default rejection is just dogma in disguise.
"If you reject everything by default, you’re not a skeptic. You’re just a different kind of sheep."
The truth is, intelligent people don’t reject the mainstream outright, nor do they accept it blindly. They evaluate, investigate, and adapt based on what they learn. They are skeptical, but they are also open.
The Invitation: Move Beyond Base and Culture Level Thinking
The good news? You don’t have to stay trapped in Base Level fear or Culture Level conformity. The fact that you’re reading this means some part of you is already Next Level—already questioning, already seeking growth.
The path forward is simple but not easy: stop assuming and start asking. Stop worrying about being right and start focusing on learning. Stop defining yourself by what you’re against and start focusing on what is actually useful.
"The real question isn’t whether you’re right or wrong. It’s whether you have the courage to change your mind."
Because in the end, it’s not about proving yourself smarter than everyone else. It’s about becoming someone who actually thinks.
PS: If you’re ready to break free from Base and Culture Level thinking and start making real progress in your life, check out my Next Level Human coaching program. Because learning how to actually think is the most powerful skill you’ll ever develop. 👉 http://nextlevelhuman.com/human-coaching
You commit the same crime. Inverted.