Quote Originally Posted by Shurrikhan View Post
One is a request that the bottlenecking individual follow majority preferences, at least to the extent possible for that individual. The other is a literal barrier, penetrable only by a kick.
It's not a request if a kick is the alternative for rejecting that request. So, yes, only one side is compelling playstyle on others here.

To clarify, let's take a look at the actual rule: "Expressions that compel a playing style."

"Hey, just so you know, since we're a fully geared party, you can and should pull more."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm more comfortable with, and so prefer to make, smaller pulls."

Of the above two polite statements, the first comes closer to being an expression that compels a play style as it is telling others what to do while the second is a personal statement.