> The flip side of this problem is that it is also easy to phrase prompt in a way that invites _too much_ criticism, so you wind up sycophantic in the other direction where the completion rejects a perfectly good idea because the prompt leads a little bit in that direction.

I don't think that is the flip side. That's just obviously bad. Everything that is obviously bad, the model makers will also ~notice and work to make better. They seem to be a competent and attentive bunch, on the whole.