I have deep respect for the
principle and commitment of this extraordinary
individual, though I also have great respect for those
who are courageous enough to question his thinking and
then sustain his wrath. In a final interview with
Stallman, I asked him his thoughts about the religious
comparisons. "Some people do compare me with an Old
Testament prophent, and the reason is Old Testament
prophets said certain social practices were wrong. They
wouldn't compromise on moral issues. They couldn't be
bought off, and they were usually treated with contempt."
Such analogies serve a purpose, but they ultimately
fall short. That's because they fail to take into
account the vulnerable side of the Stallman persona.
Watch the Stallman gaze for an extended period of time,
and you will begin to notice a subtle change. What
appears at first to be an attempt to intimidate or
hypnotize reveals itself upon second and third viewing
as a frustrated attempt to build and maintain contact.
If, as Stallman himself has suspected from time to
time, his personality is the product of autism or
Asperger Syndrome, his eyes certainly confirm the
diagnosis.
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