This is a good point (the redemption movement comes to mind as an example), but I think the cases I’m thinking of and the cases you’re describing look quite different in other details. Like, the bored/annoyed expert tired of having to correct basic mistakes, vs. the salesman who wants to initiate you into a new, exciting secret. But yeah, this is only a quick-and-dirty heuristic, and even then only good for distinguishing snake oil; it might not be a good idea to put too much weight on it, and it definitely won’t help you in a real dispute (“Wait, both sides are annoyed that the other is getting basic points wrong!”). As Eliezer put it—you can’t learn physics by studying psychology!
This is a good point (the redemption movement comes to mind as an example), but I think the cases I’m thinking of and the cases you’re describing look quite different in other details. Like, the bored/annoyed expert tired of having to correct basic mistakes, vs. the salesman who wants to initiate you into a new, exciting secret. But yeah, this is only a quick-and-dirty heuristic, and even then only good for distinguishing snake oil; it might not be a good idea to put too much weight on it, and it definitely won’t help you in a real dispute (“Wait, both sides are annoyed that the other is getting basic points wrong!”). As Eliezer put it—you can’t learn physics by studying psychology!