Actually, that's why I am using the Level 4 guideline ("Completely change a person’s emotions") rather than the Level 3 one (" Make a major change to a person’s emotion"). And that's what the "social" effect of the Gift is:
"The Gift has a strong emotional effect on those around the Gifted person, making them suspicious and mistrustful of the Gifted individual, inspiring envy. As a result, social interactions are very difficult for the Gifted. Some Hermetic magi have the Gentle Gift (a Virtue, see page 42), which does not affect people in this way ..."
or taking a cue from Soothing Voice of the Stableman and making the target uneasy around gifted people despite their positive feelings towards them.
That's a completely different guideline, from a different Technique. Soothing Voice is a Level 2 ReAn guideline "Plant a single suggestion in the mind of an animal." That's completely different from "Completely change a person's emotions". Saying that one should "take a cue from" Soothing Voice when designing Belin's Gift is like saying that one should "take a cue from" Pilum of Fire when designing Rain of Oil. No, they're completely different things.
I also, like ironbound tome, don't see how it wouldn't work on everyday, non-supernaturally induced, distrust, fear, and envy.
It would, as long as that distrust, fear and envy came into the same "combined feeling" that the Gift produces. I could very well see a non-supernatural Social Handicap producing the same sort of effect. The Story Flaw Envied Beauty in many cases produces the same sort of effect, but not always. A plain looking, lonesome female redcap, who sees a beautiful, younger, powerful noblewoman about to marry the most eligible bachelor of the duchy? Oh sure, that would qualify, without the need of any Virtue, Flaw or supernatural intervention.
The raw terror inspired by a dragon looming on you? Nope. The rational mistrust you feel for a well-known cheat? Nope, that's reason talking to you, not a gut feeling.