How Linus stays sane

By not getting worked up the way geeks usually do. “My basic strategy has always been to not care too much. It actually ends up working wonders – avoiding confrontation by just walking away. The thing is, I don’t usually feel as deeply about some of the issues they feel strongly about, and that makes it easier just to ignore the politics – and as a result, the political consequences. That also allows me to concentrate on the things I do enjoy, namely the technical discussions.

Q: How long will that work? Well, it’s worked so far. Every once in a while an issue comes up where I have to make a statement. I can’t totally avoid all political issues, but I try my best to minimize them. When I do make a statement, I try to be fairly neutral. Again, that comes from me caring a lot more about the technology than about the politics, and that usually means that my opinions are colored mostly by what I think is the right thing to do technically rather than for some nebulous good.”

[Wired interview.]