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Trees don't have emotions in the same way people do. Biologically they grow slower, develop slower so is it any wonder that the spirits tending them take a while to understand the emotions, or words connected to them, shouldn't be used when not felt. That's Nancy's rational at least, especially when she's asked about her romantic relationships or why, instead of arguing for more opportunity at her job she started just taking the ones she wanted before anyone realised.
Steve is dubious, especially after the bullshit incident. Jonathon is growing to be dubious as well. Trees, well, neither could speak to trees to know how their emotions are felt, but they can speak to dryads, to Nancy, and know it's not actually a lack of understanding that causes her issues with relationships. She's smart and understands them in everyone else too well, dryad or not. It's more like being a dryad and spending so long talking to the trees disconnects her from remembering that she's part of relationships as well, not just observing them for decades.
Everyone however agrees that Nancy's knowledge of her trees is brilliantly useful from the first time she found her way into the Upside Down and would have followed the trees directions to Barb if the demogorgan hadn't been about to attack her.