I think that's really that most people don't know or don't care enough about photography. Which is fine. That's up to them. But some of us do care.

"The best camera is the one you carry" is about opportunistic capture of moments i.e. it's better to record them on anything than nothing. That doesn't always work. I've lost more moments than I gained on a smartphone camera which won't focus on what I want, does weird uncorrectable things with white balance, has a pretty nasty digital zoom, or has gunk on the lens from being handled.

Exactly! To add, if I take a dedicated camera with me it feels like a side quest permission to go out there and look for actual photography targets actively rather than just wait for an opportunity. It's kinda like taking a shovel to the beach - you'll end up digging some holes just because you took it.

That's fair. (Heading off topic:) My take on that saying is that I make art when the inspiration strikes. So I am often caught carrying a minimal amount of stuff but noticing something and wanting to play with it. My very mediocre 1st gen iPhone SE is indeed absurdly far in capabilities from my serious camera - but historically there have been far worse cameras. (And it has never been quite the same since I replaced the battery and I annoy my friends by tapping the phone so it will auto-focus.)