On the contrary

This "on the contrary" is confusing, which I found in other examples as well. It doesn't seem to contradict the whole previous sentence "do not instill..", but the partial part "instaill values...".
What is the criteria to decide it goes against the positive part or negative part of the previous sentence? That's why I even thought it contradicts the further previous part "all tribal...". What do you think?

pr42
ex)The forms of rites of passage have been found by anthropologists in all traditional societies. Van Gennep, who pioneered work on rites of passage, asserted that they accompany every change of place, state, social position and age." ...For example, all tribal cultures that we know about initiate their members into adulthood with such rituals. Yet American culture, which is relatively ritual-poor, lacks any definitive rites of passage to celebrate this transition. It might be argued that reaching the drinking or voting age, getting a driver's license, or graduating from high school marks adulthood in American society. But these events certainly do not instill values in the initiate. On the contrary, they themselves lack most of the identifying marks of passge.

keannu said:

But these events certainly do not instill values in the initiate. On the contrary, they themselves lack most of the identifying marks of passge.

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Hi,

As I read it, 'On the contrary' here contradicts the previous underlined part. That is: reaching the drinking or voting age, getting a driver's license, or graduating from high school [by] themselves (or per se) lack most of the identifying marks of passage.

charliedeut

You mean this part?
.. It might be argued that reaching the drinking or voting age, getting a driver's license, or graduating from high school marks adulthood in American society..

Why can't it be this part?
But these events certainly do not instill values in the initiate

keannu said:

Why can't it be this part?
But these events [reaching the drinking or voting age, getting a driver's license, or graduating from high school marks adulthood in American society] certainly do not instill values in the initiate

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Hi keannu,

Apparently I failed in my intention. I meant to say exactly that part. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

charliedeut

"But these events certainly do not instil values in the initiate." It refers to this. IMO.

bhaisahab said:

"But these events certainly do not instil values in the initiate." It refers to this. IMO.

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Thanks, bhai. That's what I was trying to say in my first answer, but I found no practical way, as it seems, to simplify it the way you did.

Even if it refers to that, the two sentences are not contradicting each other, but in harmony. That's why I'm saying "on the contrary" is confusing in some cases. What do you think?

Hello, keannu.:-D
I think I can understand what you mean.
Please check the example sentences here: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
Each sentence includes a negative "not" prior to the phrase "on the contrary".
Is it the culprit that is confusing you?

Thanks a lot! I think probably we have to ignore the culprit "not" in the previous sentence whenever "on the contrary" appears. It's confusing, though. What about this? Okay, I can realize this is nonsense and weird.
ex)The test will be easy; on the contrary, it will be very difficult.

on the contrary also quite the contrary — used to state that the opposite of what was said before is true ▪ The test will[STRIKE] not [/STRIKE]be easy; on the contrary, it will be very difficult. ▪ The lecture was [STRIKE]not [/STRIKE]boring. Quite the contrary, it was very informative and interesting.

A: The test will be easy; on the contrary, it will be very difficult. Wrong.Self contradictory.

A: The test will be easy:
B: On the contrary, it will be very difficult. Fine.