Do not lie to people about what crypto is just so they would not think of it as something not worthwhile. Rather explain eagerly. I did this so that my friend would not worry about my financial state and if he ends up becoming interested in bitcoin then I would be glad to continue teaching him.
It is a good thing that your friend consulted you about what he heard about Bitcoin. Bitcoin is indeed unstable and risky but beyond this being unstable and risky lies great opportunity. Despite the good liquidity, we know that Bitcoin is highly volatile because of its market maturity. Bitcoin is still discovering its price and due to its designed system (block halving), intensifies its speculative market.
I agree that cryptocurrency is something worthwhile but we should do our best to research any cryptocurrency project we are interested in because most of them are created just for money grab. If we have to choose the safest cryptocurrency investment, Bitcoin is leading by a mile.
My point is that the intention is to either inform and educate or convince somebody. With the former, there's the complete picture. With the latter, there's bias. By presenting him/her the ROI chart, for example, the intention is probably to entice or attract him. He/she might be convinced and buy. However, in the process, you might have missed preparing him/her of the possibility or even eventually of Bitcoin losing big time in a very short period of time or a severe and continuous correction which needs years to recover.
I can't agree more, it is better to educate people than convince them with the profit hype. With giving the right information, we don't have to convince people into investing in Bitcoin. People can decide themselves after seeing the history, data and market swings of Bitcoin market. This way, we can keep ourselves from the troubles and blame of people. It is their money, they decide what they see fit for them.
Many people have quit Bitcoin after losing patience, after being disappointed and frustrated repeatedly, and so on. It's probably because they were conditioned to expect only the good moments. In reality, there aren't only good days; there are also bad days.
True! These people could have been holding on to their precious BTC if they were well informed. But because people who convinced them show only the good side, these people are shaken when bad things happens.