I still think that this decision is one concerning becoming, rather than being, exceptional. That is, I think of being exceptional as the accumulated result of good decisions, rather than as a single (even lifelong) decision in its own right.

> I would separate the non-conformist whose conscience puts them at odds with a misguided but widespread popular opinion, from the contrarian.

Oh, I see; I was reading 'non-conformist' as essentially synonymous with 'contrarian'. Your clarifying the distinction addresses my second point.

> Although I still like those who consider that so much of their identity that they take contrarian positions even when unnecessary. If anything they are a non-yielding role model and we could use some of that, cause the scales are definately tipped in favor of conformity.

As a reflexive contrarian (I am so inclined to test positions by argument that, if it happens that I convince my interlocutor, then I sometimes unthinkingly argue against his or her new position, which I had been urging, and in favour of the original position), I am not sure that there is as much value to such a position as you suggest; but that is a minor point, and besides I could easily be wrong.

I'm a mathematician, not a software developer, but I think that both professions train their practitioners to believe that the way to get good tools (or theorems) is to try to break them, and to keep only those that survive—a 'confrontational' approach that it is (perhaps too) easy to carry over into the rest of life. I won't deny that there is probably some arrogance in my contrarianism, too.