He's not just stubborn, persistent, and unyielding: he's performatively so. In his most notorious attacks, he's clearly playing to an audience. That could be the problem. He clearly can separate the blunt stubbornness ("we do not break userland, period") from the performative rudeness ("SHUT THE FUCK UP MAURO").
(I mean, to be clear: what the fuck do I know? I've never been in the position Linus is in.)
(I mean, to be clear: what the fuck do I know? I've never been in the position Linus is in.)