Since some people have a hard time understanding why anyone would choose someone outright rude over someone passive-aggressive masked as kindness and empathy, here might be one of the reasons.
With someone outright rude, there is a tiny chance that I can say “We both hate each other, but we need to continue our transactional relationship to get things done.”
But when someone refuses any chance of recognizing their own aggression, you are destined to be the bad guy however you do. The only winning move is to be passive-aggressive and fake your own kindness back.
Some prefer theatre, some prefer confrontation.