Are the people in your everyday life similar to you in background and viewpoints held? It is likely that the group is generally in agreement on sentiments held, so there is little need to argue/discuss issues already resolved. Mango
Unfortunately, since I moved to Dallas, I don't have contact with as diverse a group of people as I did when I lived in Houston. Especially since I work in Plano, which is so whitebread it makes Sugarland look exotic. In general, I don't think Dallas is nearly as diverse and well-blended as Houston. Sure there are large populations of minorities here, but they seem to be more segregated into different areas of town.