I think it's perfectly okay if my friends think they had an unfruitful conversation with me and thought that I didn't know what I was talking about. I don't lik

I think it's perfectly okay if my friends think they had an unfruitful conversation with me and thought that I didn't know what I was talking about. I don't like rubber-stamp people who just say whatever I want to hear and have no depth of their own and aren't willing to disagree on anything. In fact, I really can't stand when I talk to someone and they seem to agree unconditionally with everything I say; it's not believable. Surely they disagree, why can't they express their feelings? Why is no one willing to go on a limb and be wrong or criticized? I find it particularly prevalent in the tech circles, when talking to parents of other kids in the SF Bay area. Everything is very picture perfect, and I can't believe it, so I feel I can't trust the people speaking. They're too nice, too polished. I like my friends who will disagree with me (most of the time respectfully) and allow me to say stupid things and forgive me for my imperfections, and equally for theirs.