The bear thing is controversial because people are interpreting the core of the question differently and assuming everyone understands the question the same way. Some people view the question as fundamentally “which are you more afraid of?” while others view the question to be “which is more dangerous to interact with?” The answer you give and your justification will depend on the question your answering. If your conversation partner is viewing the question through the other lense both your answer and reasoning will sound idiotic. People who claim the other side is just plain wrong aren’t trying to understand why the other side might have their “wrong” position. People who claim the other side don’t understand them should look to demonstrate to the other side that they can understand their viewpoint, down to the core interpretation of the question, so that they can lead them back up through an alternate interpretation of the question and into their own perspective.