Why having a tendency to contract surfaces rather than expand them?

I had a asked a question about six months back what direction forces due to pressure must be pointing and I got a pretty good answer for it (here). Thinking a bit more deeply about the answer, I started getting confused how the pressure always wants to contract a body rather than compress it?

THe following equation is written in the mentioned answer:

$${bf F}_{net}=-int_S p{bf n} dS$$

If I recall correctly, we consider the normal vector as pointing outside from the surface we are integrating, hence for a small area element , we are saying the pressure would push it inwards. But why/ how must pressure push inwards rather than outwards?

More simply put, why does pressure push rather than pull?

Note : I do understand we can simply say that the most direct answer is that "It is simply what we observe in real life" but why exactly is it this which we observe in real life?