Stop Being So Afraid Of Offending Someone

This could better be phrased, "if people weren't such jerks, we wouldn't have to go out of our way to avoid talking to them."

Offending someone causes them pain. Causing them to become defensive causes me pain. It makes sense that I would like to avoid both those things. If I could trust myself not to make dismissive and hurtful remarks, and I could trust other people not to let their egos get in the way, I would love to interact the way the OP advocates.

I have created a work environment where I can, but it does take effort: both to create and maintain. It requires trust from the people around you that can only be earned, not demanded. It requires trust in the people around you, so that vulnerability becomes a strength instead of a weakness. It requires an ease of shared purpose.

Without those things, not caring how one's message is received is a recipe for disaster.

I think that there is a category of articles submitted to HN which can be summed up as "Anecdote Evidence mentioning but not involving Steve Jobs".

There's always a way to get your point across without offending someone