Oh, definitely. There are plenty of topics I bring up with my friends specifically because we disagree and it's entertaining for all of us. The key is that it doesn't generalize, and I can't replicate it with people that don't "fit" my style well enough and are in danger of joining a cult (or cult-like subculture) to get the validation they need.

The link was about a flat earther being drawn to likeminded sites/groups because they felt alienated in other circles. I submit that this is common, and also that your advice ("be nicer to those people") is not likely to work, because there's a good number of them that I just don't like enough to give them sufficient friendship to meet their needs. I don't bully them, but I can't really support them as much as they want/need.