Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive? There do exist different cultural attitudes and standards for abrasiveness, tact, manners, and respect. The standards currently used in corporate America are not universal; some people have stronger standards, others have looser.

> Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive?

That would be a classic symptom of narcissism. I'm not saying Linus is a narcissist, if anything I'm saying the opposite -- if he accepts the same treatment from others that he puts out, that argues against narcissism.

Now Steve Jobs, on the other hand ... I couldn't stand working with Steve because of his obvious and unbearable narcissism. He is why I never worked directly at Apple for more than a few weeks during many years of professional association on a number of software projects.