Echelons of Society

"Nobody was challenging this guy. He had an opinion that was at the very least disagreeable but everybody in class was afraid of confrontation."
"You're complaining that a fight didn't break out in your class?"
"Not a fight, just a discussion that didn't feel like a game of Simon Sez with the teacher or the one student who speaks out just a little too much."
"So what was he actually saying?"
"He was criticizing writers for being too self-important."
"So?"
"So why is that a problem? I concede that some writers are self-important, but I wanted somebody to jump after him and say, 'what's wrong with being important?' Maybe I want writers to take their writing seriously. There aren't any self-deprecating jokes in the Declaration of Independence."
"If you wanted somebody to say this, why didn't you?"
"I did."
"So what's the problem?"
"I guess I put a little edge on it or something because the teacher kept me after class to see if I was angry."
"Were you?"
"No. I honestly wasn't. I just wanted to further intellectual debate."
"That sounds self-important."
"Self-important nothing! I'm the Robin Hood of education."
"How are you Robin Hood?"
"I defend ideas."
"What did Robin Hood defend?"
"I don't know, people. Whatever, bad example. The other problem that grows from this is that I probably scared away any potential friends I could have made in that class."
"Controversy will keep you pretty lonely."
"But I would have been untrue to myself if I let that guy blast his opinion to the entire class without challenge. It's a question of morals."
"Ever seen Grease?"
"The movie?"
"No, our neighbor, yes, the movie. The moral of that story is that you should change yourself so John Travolta will like you."
"Okay."
"But that's a stupid movie. If you hadn't have said anything in that class, there is no promise you would have made a friend. But you would be here, complaining that you feel bad about not speaking your mind in a class that was asking you to speak your mind. Now stop eating Pop-tarts on my bed and let me go to sleep, it's three in the morning!"