@maxal while I do appreciate your dedication towards Adolin, I feel like you are more than biased towards him when it comes to other characters. You make it seem like Dalinar has a personal vendetta towards Adolin and wants him to fail, even though he repeatedly says how much he admires his son, how much of a better man he is compared to him, in WoR he was grooming him to take the lead and stepts down to give him more responsability. Also I feel like in WoK he trusts him and gives him responsabilities and tries to involve him and show him how he's thinking. So I don't really understand where all this "but incredibly hard towards those not having earned it (Adolin most notably)" is coming from really.
I feel like it's more of a compliment towards Adolin and the faith he has in him, the fact that he doesn't "suffocate" him with care as he sometimes does with Renarin. He acknowledges the fact that he is capable enough on his own and doesn't exactly need his special care.
Also saying Hoid dislikes Adolin and this is the reason he suggests Kaladin should flirt with Shallan is a bit far fetched. I feel like Hoid is always looking for mischief and he wants to spark some minor conflict for amusement, not because he is genuinely mean towards someone who doesn't deserve it. I agree, there is definitely a secret agenda on Hoid's mind, but what he said to Kaladin in regards to Shallan doesn't feel like is part of that. For me it felt more like a playful remark meant to plant the seeds for the reader, rather than Kaladin, for a potential thing with Shallan. For how stubborn Kaladin is, I very much doubt that Hoid's suggestion had any role in his developing feelings for the girl.
