It is also difficult to know whether that "contrary" denotes a character trait – unconventional, humorously rueful, outsiderish – or a more familiarly gendered diffidence born of a low expectation of recognition and reward.
But Mr Cameron's diffidence is more obviously explained by flickering attention and fear of his domestic critics.If the Tories return to power, even with a majority, there is no reason to expect a more ambitious or coherent foreign policy.
His manner combines a certain European reserve, almost a diffidence, with a more American warmth and openness of gesture.
RICHARD BRODY: The best thing about 50/50 was Anna Kendrick's performance; she was like herself but more so; the hesitation and diffidence in her line readings, the pausing and searching in her gaze, was the movie's one true thing.
He is also totally oblivious to his leading-man good looks, and his humility makes his awkward diffidence all the more touching; it's as if someone mounted a camera inside a tortoise's shell so we could see its marrow-deep doubts.
But as long as the aggressiveness is not physically manifest, I believe it is more helpful than passivity and diffidence.
What emerges isn't a different Marley so much as one who feels a bit more human, given to moments of diffidence and whim, whose every decision doesn't feel freighted with potentially world-historical significance.
The police hesitate to use force or even take action for fear of retribution, and earlier this month their diffidence contributed the deaths of more than 70 soccer fans in a riot in Port Said, a parliamentary inquiry found.
In view of his diffidence in First Principles, it seems more likely that this text is the work of Maximus, a second-century author to whom it is also attributed in our manuscripts.
Exploration of this problem during the interview revealed that the patients were not satisfied with how they acted, but did not know how to overcome their diffidence and express their concerns more openly.
