[Sonsowey]

So I wouldn't say I have the standard beliefs of "red pill" guys, but I don't have the standard beliefs of "blue pill" people either. I'm not a Democrat or a Republican. So my beliefs don't fall into the common dichotomies.

This really gets me in lots of arguments. Just stating a simple opinion that doesn't fall in line with whatever group I'm in is almost always treated like an aggressive move. A standard "Red pill" example, and a mild one at that, is stating that I believe eating lots of meat is healthy and grains are unhealthy. People often flip on me. And I of course have reasons to back up my argument. Which usually makes people class me as a dick, or confrontational, or "contrarian".

Really, "contrarian" is something I'm called a lot. People seem to think my beliefs are so out there that I can't really believe them, and that I'm just trying to get a rise out of people.

It would make things "smoother" in my life to just keep my mouth shut, but I would feel like a pussy doing so.

Is my compulsion to share my opinions when they don't fit into the norm something I should try to control? I never have wanted to do that. And finding like-minded people has been an impossible task. The best I have been able to do is find open-minded people, who are rare.

[johnwu]

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. "
-Benjamin Franklin

[Ensam]

"If a battle cannot be won, do not fight it."
-Sun Tzu

Personally I adopt a Socratic style and ask leading questions whenever people start discussing ideas I disagree with. The thing I like about that approach is it comes off as less arrogant (assuming you ask the questions in a calm, non-confrontational style) and it really gets people to question their own beliefs. But really most of the time I just let it go.

[Andy_B]

The short answer is, there's a fine line between being a pushover and being a social retard.

While it can seem like a good idea to self-censor a lot in social situations, you need to ask yourself "are these people really worth it?" A lot of the time, whatever you think might come from being polite (e.g. friends, a job, a GF) isn't really worth it. For example, let's say you're a free market dude and you shut up about your libertarian beliefs because everyone at your school is a hardcore communist and you want to fit in. You may salvage friendships by doing this, but now you're stuck with friends you don't see eye to eye with. Is that better than having NO friends? Well, probably... but is transferring to a different school where people think differently really such a drastic act?

On the other hand, you also need to learn that voicing your every opinion at every opportunity is often not worth it either. Let's say you had some bad experiences over the years with flamboyant homosexuals, and you live in San Francisco (and for some reason San Francisco is the only city where you can find work). You might feel like airing out your grievances, but is it really worth it? Do you hate them SO MUCH that it's worth losing your job over it.

So it really is ultimately a matter of drawing the line. Everyone will differ slightly on where to draw it, but keep in mind how valuable things are to you. Faking beliefs to keep a job may not be somewhat acceptable, because you do need a job to survive. But faking beliefs to maintain a friendship seems like a bad idea: you don't need to be hanging around with some faggot who's going to flip out because you don't like the same band he does.