I think a person’s opinion of the X-card as a tool often correlates to how they chose to balance the value of the shared imaginary experience and the value of the actual people at the table. For it to make sense you have to approach play from the point of view that people are always more important, no matter what. That’s why my spiel begins with “here at table eleven, we all love and trust each other” – this might not technically be true*, but by setting that expectation I move the goalposts immediately into people are more important than the game territory.

*It actually is true for me.