Making People Think

The other day, I posted an entry about my periodic bouts with writer's block. One person commented, making a reference to my "self-imposed obligation to entertain".

This response stuck in my craw as the main goal of this blog isn't to "entertain" people.

Though I write about a wide variety of topics, some of them which are indeed entertaining, this blog's raison d'etre is to make people see things in a new light; I want to make people think. As my blog's subtitle indicates, my goal is to get people to consider things in ways they might not have before -- to think outside the box, to color outside the lines.

I especially like writing about controversial topics, about supposedly inviolate sacred cows. I enjoy the lively exchange of comments that usually follows such an entry -- I know I've done my job if I've struck a nerve.

I don't expect people to always end up agreeing with me, far from it. It is enough to expose people to unconventional ways of thinking about things and to have them entertain such thoughts, regardless of the conclusions they ultimately draw.

Thoughts?