We only progress because of extremists

I sense people not wanting to talk to me sometimes because of my strong opinions. But what are you if you have no opinions? I can't stand talking to somebody who just agrees with everything that you like and dislike. How is anything going to change if people DON'T speak up to their friends and say "Actually, bears have canine teeth too, and they don't eat cows," or "Did you know that there was a perfectly-running electric car, and they were all taken back by the company and crushed," or "There used to be railways, before Standard Oil bought them all up and destroyed them in partnership with GM." How is anybody supposed to know anything unless they're told? The media isn't talking about this stuff, they're talking about Sanjaya and Britney and Tom Cruise.

Also, I'm willing to talk it out. If somebody can convince me of their opinion through debate, I'm willing to change that opinion. It's been known to happen- because of it, I can argue the conservative side as well as I can argue the liberal side, even though I agree with the liberals deep down. I admit to being stubborn, but I'm not irrational. The debate won't end with me kicking you in the shin and saying "WELL UH, YOUR MOM". It just seems that a lot of the time, people don't want to back their opinions up with anything or to hear the other side. I am glad to hear the other side. It might make me angry and I might argue against it, but that's the only way to find truth in anything--through challenge!

And like I said, I'm not the most informed person in the world, but I'm always willing to listen to new facts. I might challenge where those facts come from, but again, that's the only way to achieve any kind of truth. So while it makes me sad that some people censor what they say around me or are fed up with my opinions on everything, I'm not going to change. I'd prefer debating issues until it's all out in the open and we either reach some kind of common ground or we agree to disagree. Friends who challenge me make me glad. Because I most certainly DON'T know everything. And while I might get frustrated while we debate it out, I appreciate that I'm learning.

And friends, I hope these debates don't make you think I'm an asshole. If you don't agree with what I'm saying, please please challenge me. I'd rather be challenged than go around saying something that sounds moronic. And I'll challenge that back, likely, but the only way to truth is to whittle down huge sweeping opinions into hard and definite facts that nobody can deny.