Yeah, ignoring advice isn't necessarily reckless as it depends upon the advice. Some people really enjoying saying 'I told you so' though. The confirmation bias makes it hard to recognize how frequently we are wrong when we give bad advice, and ignore good advice. From an 'art of persuasion' standpoint, telling someone not to do something is a poor strategy. It's akin to arguing by conclusion in lieu of presenting an actual argument. If there was concern about the hiker's ability, then ask about his gear and if he knows how to us it (especially the stove). Make your argument and let the person decide. People should be free to make their own decisions, but with the best available information.
I don't generally solicit advice on the trail, as the subjectivity tends to make it worthless. I do research for my hikes, so I generally don't have questions. The questions I do have tend to be around campsite conditions. I prefer to seek out objective information, such as if a trail was broken out, if there was a view, etc. In my experience people tend to overstate 'problems', which I usually attribute to their own inexperience or their lack of understanding of my experience. When I talk to people I'm usually more curious about their itinerary and how much they've enjoyed it to see how it compares to my experiences, and sometimes making suggestions (such as tagging Mt. Hight, which some people don't know it spectacular for very little extra effort).
On the flip side, if I ran into someone I was convinced was going to get hurt or die I would probably try to have a conversation about risks and decisions to make, but in general I give most people the benefit of the doubt. The percent of people who die in the Whites (excluding medical conditions) is so low that the odds are that they'll make it back, though perhaps with some difficulty. We've all learned a lot in the woods, sometimes the hard way. We do things differently as a result, and with an understanding of why.