buck convention

To act or develop in an unexpected, surprising, or unforeseen way that runs contrary to normal conventions or expectations. The artist always tried bucking convention in everything she made, ignoring all the accepted norms of her contemporaries. The politician made an entire career out of bucking convention, seemingly always at odds with the norms of the political world. Although property values in our city are down overall, one neighborhood is bucking convention and still getting fair market value.