I am of the same mentality as you. I am of the incontrovertible belief that what many dislike about the Catholic Church are mere misconceptions, and that many non-Catholic Christians separate themselves from the Church because they are either invincibly ignorant, or because they wish to persist in their misconceptions. If you think about it, apologetics is not really about showing the other party how wrong they are, but in demonstrating the Catholic faith FROM COMMON GROUND. We have most powerful exemplars to this type of apologetic. St. Paul on several occasions worked from common ground in order to convince his audience about the Truth of Christianity. For example, he convinced many Athenians to come to Christ by asserting that the unknown God they worshipped was one and the same God he worshipped. Down through history, the Church has not shied from utilizing the similarities between pagan belief and Christianity in order to attract non-believers to Christianity. Do not think that apologetics consists solely in attempting to demonstrate to others the error of their ways. That style has its place, but it is sometimes, perhaps oftentimes, not the best. If you think about it, our apologetic towards Protestants actually rests in our COMMON GROUND of Scripture, and our apologetic with the Orthodox rests in our COMMON GROUND in patristics.
Of course, the apologetic matter is different with non-Christians, but even with these, focusing on similarities will be a more effective method of witnessing for the faith than otherwise. Focusing on similarities first is the best way to demonstrate to non-Catholics, non-Christian or otherwise, that the Catholic faith is indeed and at least reasonable enough for them to consider. Get your foot in the door that way, and it will be easier thereafter.
God bless
