What you’re describing feels like the Dunning–Kruger effect. When you don’t know you know very little, you have more confidence than you’re likely to have after spending decades on a subject.
When you start asking questions in response you’re likely to pull someone further into realizing what they actually don’t know, killing their confidence. Of course this doesn’t work when they’re being zealots (or otherwise protecting their own sanity)..
Gentle reminder that generally nothing happens when cutting specific people out of your life. If you want to make people change, having a connection helps more than anything else.
Now it makes even more sense!