I think some people are hard wired to be argumentative. In some circles this combative temperament gives a person popularity on the Internet. If that happens to give someone a rep that allows them to get invited to conferences and paid to speak, I can see why the environment is reinforcing his behavior.

I used to be a Bitcoin maximalist while I was at bitcoin mag, but I soon realized that it is unlikely that the bitcoin dev are the only good programmers out there. I also realized that taking a maximalist attitude makes any crypto community more likely to be just like the establishment they are rebelling against. If our community + money is the way of the future and reflects our ethos, we should - in word and deed - also reflect our ethos. In my opinion the ethos here is a collaborative environment, good sense of humor, and willingness to learn and try new things.