I'm a passionate guy???

I have been rightly accused of being somewhat passionate about certain issues. In my opinion, Passion is a wonderful thing but we also need to be open to hearing other people's passionate views. In much of American life today, there is a growing tendency toward views being pushed farther and farther to the right and left in media outlets and other venues (like a blog) in an attempt to convince others of the "correct" answer. I sometimes find myself in a quandry as both sides of an argument often have merit. This is usually when I personally am not directly involved in the discussion. I appreciate a willingness to share points of view, but always with respect for the opposing views of others. As much as I attempt to follow this, during discussions where I am personally involved I sometimes still find myself being compelled to continue to push my viewpoint and not stopping to consider what someone else is saying - from their viewpoint - and yet I somehow EXPECT them to see MY viewpoint clearly. Oh well, I suppose I am still a work in progress. I wonder how long it will take for my half-baked side to be finished?