There is a very old story about three frogs sitting on a log. The independent frog said he was going to jump off the log. How many frogs were then sitting on the log? Three. That independent frog said he was going to jump, but he didn’t..
Such folks seem to think that the vehemence of their stance will cause others to hold the same stance. When their power of persuasion fails, they back down pretty much every time..