People react differently to feedback without necessarily bad intentions. Not everyone is ready to instantly admit mistakes. Empathy goes a long way.

Reading the above, how much empathy does someone need to give before they can feel the other party has bad intentions?

"No" needs to mean something.

altek has been given a number of off-ramps and alternatives to proceed. His continued resistance to take those isn't a sign of naivete, it's a sign of bad faith.