Scared to Disagree

I work at Caribou Coffee part time. For the most part I enjoy the job. I like talking to people and the coffee is pretty good too. Recently, however, I was informed that there are several people who don't like to work with me because I like to debate. I have to admit, I like to debate and have important conversations.

When I heard this I wasn't sure what to think, for most of my life I have been well liked by those I am around. Over the past several years I have become more bold in talking to people about controversial issues. I like to talk about them because there have been too many times where I have left important things unsaid. It seems like most people don't like to talk with people about things where they might disagree. Instead they would rather go through life ignorant and blissful. They have opinions simply because someone somewhere told them something was true. They arrive at these opinions and hold on to them strongly without ever questioning their validity. They don't really think about things as much as they feel about things.

So what now? This is tricky because for the most part I have a reputation based on only a few select conversations. I also have this reputation because I have allegedly said certain things that in reality I never said. Some of them were said by the person I was talking to and then attributed to me. First, I am not going to stop having these conversations, they are important ones and I would rather place questions in other peoples minds about important issues than be liked. Second, I am going to listen carefully not to their words, but to there emotions. This is going to be hard. Our world is full of thin skinned people. Unfortunately the only way our society will ever learn to have conversations about difficult issues is by having them. It's a lot like building up calluses when you are learning to play guitar.