I'm learning a way of having different conversations face-to-face or in zoom called "warm data" & also investigating the use of "deep canvassing", which seems to be broadly the same thing. The idea is to listen rather than criticize & respond with personal stories rather than sticking to a familiar script that you hope will make you sound impressive. It's the absolute opposite of those watercooler conversations where you're trying to win respect by knowing more than the other guy. It's hard to do - even harder when you try to do it in writing rather than via the spoken word - but it does seem to disarm some of the antagonism & burst some of those bubbles. Committed (or paid) trolls block me almost immediately, too, which is an added bonus. Seems like that was sort of what happened when you added some of your personal experience to the conversation, without claiming superiority?