I have an ex-friend who could not shed the habit of "adversarial learning" which is related to this. Instead of trying to learn a subject by reading and experim

I have an ex-friend who could not shed the habit of "adversarial learning" which is related to this. Instead of trying to learn a subject by reading and experimenting and maybe asking somebody who actually knew it, he'd basically force people to educate him by correcting his misconceptions. The first gambit was usually "I could do this better" followed by a series of "you could just (ridiculous idea)" and cross-examination on details, until he felt satisfied. That kind of disrespect, goading or manipulating people into providing information they would gladly have given in a less adversarial way, and never showing an ounce of gratitude, is a good way to lose friends. Not just me, and not just him, BTW. It's a pretty common behavior among the technically inclined, especially online. "If you want a right answer from the internet, post a wrong one." It's kind of funny when it's an accident, but when it becomes a constant deliberate habit it degrades the space for everyone.