I agree with your take, most of it boils down to ego, I believe.
> Rule 9: Human operators have dual roles: as producers & as defenders against failure.
> The system practitioners operate the system in order to produce its desired product and also work to forestall accidents. This dynamic quality of system operation, the balancing of demands for production against the possibility of incipient failure is unavoidable. Outsiders rarely acknowledge the duality of this role. In non-accident filled times, the production role is emphasized. After accidents, the defense against failure role is emphasized. At either time, the outsider’s view misapprehends the operator’s constant, simultaneous engagement with both roles.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32895812