“I'm basically giving myself a permanent vacation from being BDFL”

As a personnal note, you could feel that guido was already in this mood for a while from the tone of the last year tickets and mails.

It's amazing he managed to not explode at somebody. I know i would have if our roles had been reversed in some exchanges we had.

Good writers, comedians or directors know when to quit at the top their carreer.

I think he is quitting before the situation was too taxing and that is wise and courageous. Espacially since it's been more than 2 decades of service.

Plus he is leaving his baby.

That's an amazing move.

>It's amazing he managed to not explode at somebody.

Like a certain other BDFL occasionally does?

Maybe this is the reason that the certain other BDFL is still in service? Maybe it's part of psycho-hygiene in order to be able to continue? I sincerely don't know - your question just triggered my experience when working in psychiatry and seeing how the staff was venting, talking and joking about patients - once the doors were closed. I was very shocked, was quite young, around 20 when serving - but one of the doctors, when she saw my shock, took me apart and explained that this behaviour, so shocking it might be when seeing it for the first time, is part of psycho-hygiene that allows the people to be able to continue to work and keep a certain distance.

Sure, it's not the same, but I am questioning myself, if for these roles, like the BDFLs we are talking about, it is not necessary to have a personal way that allows to handle all the pressure, still keeping being yourself, defending your vision of your life-work.

I work in patient safety in English MH settings. The culture you describe is toxic, and I would have reported all of those HCPs to their trust (using the trust complaints process), to the CQC, and possibly to their professional registration bodies.

> is part of psycho-hygiene that allows the people to be able to continue to work and keep a certain distance.

It's also a culture of de-humanisation that allows abuse to continue unchecked. You find this culture in every patient safety scandal: winterborne view, mid-staffs, morcambe bay, cornwall, etc etc.