Boy, I hear you. AmEx tweaked me bigtime about a year ago. But, like you say, nose and face - use them and don't let them use you.
In general right now, everyone I trust in the credit world says, lower your debt/balances as much as you possibly can - but keep a very small balance at least to keep the line reporting and keep the issuer from closing it.
Cash is king now, but if high inflation begins, things change and if possible you always want to keep credit available at the lowest rate possible. In a nutshell: lower your debt; guard your scores.
I agree with that logic. In fact, it’s a good idea just about anytime.