I read the post and I just wanted to throw this in the mix, think of it as a gift...
In life when someone tells you something you have 3 options (although these can be rated +/- 0% to 100%):
You listen to what they say (which now days only probably 15% of us actually do) and:
Either try to be as neutral or unbiased as possible (+/-0%) and give a perfectly natural response, as to how you feel.
Or You can try desperately to understand what that person is saying and fiercely support their point and agree (100% positive).
Or You can look for flaws, errors, or other miscellany in their point making process and be a real a$$hole, (negative 100%).
I try to be as neutral as possible, or lean toward "trying to agree with their point", especially when dealing with older people, which may sound ageist but in fact it's not, I am trying to learn from someone who is older than myself, and maybe they can teach me something, that I might not have picked up yet.
With younger people I do the same as with older people because they have things in their "world" that are new and coming my way that I need to pay attention to.
Just some cents...