History knows many great people who excel in their field, but who are also famous with that they are not the kindest person you can know. Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison and Linus Torvalds himself to name a few. Such characters are also common in literature and movies like Sherlock Holmes and Gregory House for example. Despite their sometimes harsh behavior towards others not so good as them, in general this people are admirable because of their inimitable contribution to the society. I think that one thing that all of them have in common is that the quality of their work is in the first place for them, and this is one of the premises for their success.

Isn't it changing the focus of the "Code of Conduct/Conflict" from "strive for perfection" to "be a kind person" potentially damaging for the entire community no matter of the concrete project? Here I'm talking in a wider context, and not only for the case with Linus and the Linux Kernel.