I don’t think they’re excuses. They’re explanations of how things happen. The asymmetrical relationship especially explains how professors can get away with treating students badly, but it isn’t a justification. If you read Bad blood, for instance, E Holmes and sunny treat everyone horribly, but ultimately lots of people quit because they have other options.
The pressure on the professor and the selection for obsessiveness explain motives.
The pressure on the professor and the selection for obsessiveness explain motives.