I think your point is valid (and I agree).<p>However, your argument is <i>not</i> what Linus himself has emphasized. He emphasizes that his abrasiveness comes from the idea that <i>people must earn respect.</i> Which is more than just wrong, it&#x27;s completely idiotic. If life were about <i>earning</i> respect, what are you supposed to do if people disrespect you? Aren&#x27;t we right back to marching from Selma to Montgomery?