What is a CURMUDGEON?

Viewpoint on what a Curmudgeon is and does.  Most likely not what you think.

I am a Curmudgeon, and offer this description of what I think a Curmudgeon is and does.  This viewpoint differs from what most think of when they hear the term Curmudgeon.

• • • • • The Curmudgeon does not go along with the group in order to get along or to fit in.  They are willing to voice their stance on an issue, even if they become unpopular as a result.  Winston Churchill quote: "You have enemies?  Good.  That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."
        • The Curmudgeon is the grumpy guy (or gal) who is willing to say what it takes to make things right, but who does it for a greater good, not to harm someone else.
        • The Curmudgeon is not cruel.  They do not try to punish or hurt individuals; they are too busy warring against systems for that.  Grouchy, but not cruel.
        • The Curmudgeon will stick to a core set of principles even if, at times, the world changes around them.  The Curmudgeon knows who they are and what they believe in.
        • The Curmudgeon plays the role of Devil's Advocate; a whistle-blower who is willing to say what other people dare not.  Although this can make them very disliked, there are times when they spot things that are real problems.  Written off as cranks, they can at times offer valuable advice.
        • The Curmudgeon does not believe that Authority is always right.  The Curmudgeon is the sort that constantly pokes at Administrators or Bosses.  They do not naturally accept that people are right just because they have ascended to power.  The Curmudgeon is often viewed as an outcast because they do not belong to the internal network that produces leaders in an institution through "who you know", rather than based on skills and qualifications.  At times, leaders are not doing a good job but everyone else fears confronting them.  The Curmudgeon is willing to call out problems others look the other way on.
        • The Curmudgeon knows how to pick their battles.  The Curmudgeon who plays an important role, versus one who is just a negative whiner, makes sure to ground their complaints in knowledge.
        • The Curmudgeon shows that they have standards and stick to the rules, and they are not afraid to hold people to them.  In a world where sometimes it seems like "anything goes", The Curmudgeon is not afraid of hurting people's feelings.
        • Many definitions of The Curmudgeon are not positive.  The Curmudgeon is often defined as a "crusty, ill-tempered old man".  Stereotyping.
        • In popular culture, Curmudgeons are typically older men with grouchy attitudes.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curmudgeon
        It is certainly necessary for any institution or society to have people willing to say what no one else will.  The Curmudgeon is generally a lonely arbiter of common sense.