Resisting Theory

Why is it that when students are introduced to theoretical concepts, they resist?  I know that I'm writing in generality, but I find resistance much, much more frequently than I find acceptance.  Why are the ideas dismissed, or why do students rail against the challenge of reading?  Okay, the last half of the last question I can probably answer, but it does have me wondering.  I wonder how resistant I was when I first started working with theory.  Though I can remember much of my educational experience, I can't remember that.  I do remember really liking my first introduction to theory as an undergraduate, but I don't recall my reaction to the readings.   I remember thinking how cool it was that there was more kinds of criticism than New Criticism or Formalism.  I loved learning about Deconstruction, though it was easy to see its limitations and irony.   

I wonder. . .