The writing of the Ancients from the phantom Amaurot was so fascinating, well-written, and most importantly, a massive departure from how they were often represented in Endwalker—or rather how the narrative seemed to want you to feel about them. The city not only had people like the Firebrand who argued for celebrating creations who don't meet arbitrary standards, but you also have far more self-conscious ones in the Gentle Amaurotine, who told us eventual stagnation was a very real issue they considered and thought about:

But even inspiration has its limits. For all the wonders we have wrought, I do wonder if there will come a time when we have fully explored the potential of our powers—when there is truly nothing left unmade, and only iteration and imitation and stagnation remain...
Much of these 'issues' that the Ancients seemed to have not only seemed to be largely conjured up for specifically Endwalker, but they also contradict the image of the society that we came to know before. And yes, I know its easy to say its a result of Emet-selch's rose-tinted glasses, but I honestly think these discussions and issues are too complex to be the result of bias on his part. These Ancients seem reflective of actual people, giving their thoughts about the world they live in. The more you consider people like the ones in this city, the more holes are poked in the idea that they were beyond saving.