Mass Appeal

We just had an interesting discussion at our Fiction Writer's Circle. (Only 3 people here - when it's a small group to start with, all it takes is a few vacation plans.) After we read and discussed our writing with suggestions ranging from minor corrections to structural reorganization, we got talking about what we read and how that relates to what we write.

I think we read (and therefore must write) things which have characters which people have to be able to relate to. Whatever the genre, whatever the plot, whatever the action details, the characters must approach what they encounter with persistence, fortitude, cleverness - or whatever characteristics people find appealing, because they think (or wish) they have those characteristics themselves. So Joe or Sue (or whoever the character is) approaches his/her problem - saving mankind or whatever - with the same characteristics people want to have when they approach a gossipy co-worker spreading rumours or whatever more mundane problems in their own lives there are.

But there are many very angry people out there, so does that mean we have to write so characters approach problems with violence since that is the way all those people would like to respond to every minor inconvenience? I'm not just talking about the obviously angry either - it's scary to discover how many apparently calm, stable people have built-up rage inside.

What do you do if you realize you are out of step with the masses? I often feel that way, and am quite content to be. But does that mean I will never write something with broad appeal unless I sacrifice my values to give my characters characteristics which run contrary to my authentic self, which I do not want to do.