You hit on something I see all the time. It's not just potlucks. Some folks use any group setting to show off, even if it means others can't join in. I call it performance sharing, where the point isn't to give but to prove something. Like bringing music so loud no one can talk, or planning hikes too hard for most friends. It changes a nice time into a test. That dip is just another example where one person's kick ruins the event for everyone else.

Ugh, maybe they only test it once on soft fruit!

Lol the hydrostatic head thing kills me. They'll be like "this jacket survived a 20,000mm water column torture test." Bro, I'm trying to not get soggy on a hike, not recreate waterboarding in my closet. Next they'll tell me the zipper's tensile strength and expect me to bring a lab coat camping.

That bit about "treating all beef as equal" is so true. I watched a documentary segment that showed how two identical looking bags of concrete from different plants can have wildly different footprints based on their energy source and transport logistics, and the apps just use one average number. It's the same oversimplification.

Agree, that pivot is key. It turns an awkward moment into a chance to show you're listening. Maybe ask how their vision ties into the bigger picture to keep the convo flowing.