The Contrarian Hook Library.

30 contrarian hook templates

1. 1.

   Nobody tells you this about [topic]

   • “Nobody tells you this about running a startup”
   • “Nobody tells you this about being a new parent”
   • “Nobody tells you this about getting rich in your 20s”
2. 2.

   Everyone does [common approach] — I do [contrarian approach] instead

   • “Everyone networks at events — I send one cold email a month instead”
   • “Everyone does cardio first — I lift on an empty stomach instead”
   • “Everyone writes to-do lists — I keep a done-list instead”
3. 3.

   The [popular thing] advice is wrong, and here's why

   • “The 'follow your passion' advice is wrong, and here's why”
   • “The 'network harder' advice is wrong, and here's why”
   • “The 'just be yourself' advice is wrong, and here's why”
4. 4.

   Stop doing [widely-recommended thing] — do [opposite] instead

   • “Stop doing morning routines — plan your evenings instead”
   • “Stop setting goals — build systems instead”
   • “Stop tracking calories — track protein and fiber instead”
5. 5.

   Forget what [authority] told you about [topic]

   • “Forget what your dentist told you about flossing”
   • “Forget what your financial advisor told you about 401(k)s”
   • “Forget what your parents told you about saving money”
6. 6.

   The truth about [topic] is nothing like what they say

   • “The truth about venture capital is nothing like what they tell you”
   • “The truth about therapy is nothing like what pop psychology says”
   • “The truth about homeownership is nothing like what real estate agents claim”
7. 7.

   [Widely-held belief] is a myth — here's what actually works

   • “'Calories in, calories out' is a myth — here's what actually works”
   • “The '8 glasses of water a day' rule is a myth — here's what actually works”
   • “'Morning people win' is a myth — here's what actually works”
8. 8.

   I used to believe [popular idea] until I saw [evidence]

   • “I used to believe hustle culture until I burned out at 29”
   • “I used to believe index funds were enough until I ran the actual math”
   • “I used to believe cold plunges helped until I read the latest data”
9. 9.

   Unpopular opinion: [topic] doesn't work the way you think

   • “Unpopular opinion: dating apps don't work the way you think”
   • “Unpopular opinion: therapy doesn't work the way you think”
   • “Unpopular opinion: passive income doesn't work the way you think”
10. 10.

    [Common rule] only exists because [unflattering reason]

    • “'Dress for the job you want' only exists because most managers are lazy”
    • “The 8-hour workday only exists because of 1910 factory economics”
    • “The 2-week notice rule only exists to protect the employer”
11. 11.

    Everything [authority] says about [topic] is wrong

    • “Everything your financial advisor says about ETFs is wrong”
    • “Everything Instagram says about skincare is wrong”
    • “Everything your HR rep says about negotiating is wrong”
12. 12.

    [Common wisdom] only works for people who don't need it

    • “'Just budget better' only works for people who don't need it”
    • “'Just put yourself out there' only works for people who already get invited”
    • “'Follow your intuition' only works for people who already know the answer”
13. 13.

    The opposite of [common advice] actually works better

    • “The opposite of 'wake up at 5am' actually works better for most people”
    • “The opposite of 'fake it till you make it' actually produces real confidence”
    • “The opposite of 'manifest it' actually gets you there faster”
14. 14.

    [Group] got [topic] completely wrong — here's the real story

    • “Fitness influencers got protein completely wrong — here's the real story”
    • “Productivity gurus got morning routines completely wrong — here's the real story”
    • “Finance Twitter got real estate completely wrong — here's the real story”
15. 15.

    Why I stopped listening to [popular expert type]

    • “Why I stopped listening to financial advisors”
    • “Why I stopped listening to life coaches”
    • “Why I stopped listening to productivity YouTubers”
16. 16.

    Why [common practice] is the opposite of what [goal] needs

    • “Why daily journaling is the opposite of what clarity needs”
    • “Why working longer hours is the opposite of what growth needs”
    • “Why constant cardio is the opposite of what fat loss needs”
17. 17.

    The [topic] industry is built on a lie

    • “The vitamin industry is built on a lie”
    • “The wedding industry is built on a lie”
    • “The certification industry is built on a lie”
18. 18.

    Nobody wants to admit it, but [controversial claim]

    • “Nobody wants to admit it, but luck matters more than grit”
    • “Nobody wants to admit it, but salary negotiation is mostly performance”
    • “Nobody wants to admit it, but kids mostly raise themselves”
19. 19.

    Your [trusted source] has been wrong about [topic]

    • “Your GP has been wrong about sleep”
    • “Your financial advisor has been wrong about bonds”
    • “Your HR team has been wrong about pay transparency”
20. 20.

    I'm done pretending [popular thing] works

    • “I'm done pretending meditation apps work”
    • “I'm done pretending LinkedIn networking works”
    • “I'm done pretending Pomodoro works for deep work”
21. 21.

    The [popular method] only helps [small group]

    • “The 'eat the frog' method only helps morning people”
    • “The Pomodoro method only helps people with ADHD”
    • “The 401(k) strategy only helps people who never change jobs”
22. 22.

    What if [widely-praised thing] is actually [negative reframe]

    • “What if morning routines are actually avoidance in disguise”
    • “What if gratitude journaling is actually a way to tolerate bad situations”
    • “What if 'doing what you love' is actually a survivorship bias trap”
23. 23.

    [Popular phrase] is the lie everyone tells to avoid [hard truth]

    • “'We're all in this together' is the lie managers tell to avoid giving raises”
    • “'You're exactly where you need to be' is the lie we tell to avoid changing”
    • “'It's just a season' is the lie we tell to stay in a bad relationship”
24. 24.

    I tried [conventional way] — it's completely wrong

    • “I tried the 4-hour workweek — it's completely wrong”
    • “I tried dopamine detox — it's completely wrong”
    • “I tried the Mediterranean diet as recommended — it's completely wrong”
25. 25.

    [Common belief] turned out to be completely made up

    • “The 8-hour sleep rule turned out to be completely made up”
    • “The 'breakfast is the most important meal' rule was made up by a cereal company”
    • “The 10,000-hour rule turned out to be half made up”
26. 26.

    The real reason [popular advice] exists will surprise you

    • “The real reason 'always wear sunscreen' advice exists will surprise you”
    • “The real reason 'always pay yourself first' exists will surprise you”
    • “The real reason 'ask for the sale' advice exists will surprise you”
27. 27.

    [Praised behavior] is actually [negative reframe]

    • “Side-hustle culture is actually desperation dressed up”
    • “Toxic positivity is actually emotional avoidance”
    • “Constant availability is actually a control issue”
28. 28.

    Hot take: [popular person] has been wrong about [topic]

    • “Hot take: Dave Ramsey has been wrong about mortgages for 20 years”
    • “Hot take: Gary Vee has been wrong about hustle”
    • “Hot take: Tim Ferriss has been wrong about morning routines”
29. 29.

    [Common tip] sounds smart but produces [bad outcome]

    • “'Diversify your income streams' sounds smart but produces attention fragmentation”
    • “'Journal every day' sounds smart but produces rumination”
    • “'Network more' sounds smart but produces burnout”
30. 30.

    The [topic] rule everyone repeats is complete garbage

    • “The 50/30/20 budget rule is complete garbage”
    • “The 10,000 steps rule is complete garbage”
    • “The 'network is net worth' rule is complete garbage”

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