I'm sitting in my home office wearing a bathrobe. The same way

Authenticity is the armor of the strong, while pretense is the mask of the weak. When Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux operating system, declared, “I'm sitting in my home office wearing a bathrobe. The same way I'm not going to start wearing ties, I'm also not going to buy into the fake politeness, the lying, the office politics and backstabbing, the passive aggressiveness, and the buzzwords,” he was not merely speaking of clothing or workplaces. He was proclaiming a rebellion against the false rituals and empty facades that so often dominate human interaction, especially within the structures of power and ambition.

At the heart of his words lies a rejection of hypocrisy. In many institutions, whether political, corporate, or social, people hide their true selves behind carefully crafted manners and meaningless jargon. They wear the “tie” not only on their bodies, but on their very souls—binding themselves to fake politeness, saying what is expected rather than what is true. Torvalds stands against this, choosing instead to remain as he is: simple, direct, and unbound by the games of office politics and passive aggressiveness. His bathrobe becomes a symbol of freedom, of choosing substance over illusion.

History offers many examples of figures who, like Torvalds, cast off the trappings of false respectability. Diogenes of Sinope, the ancient Greek philosopher, rejected the norms of polite society entirely. When Alexander the Great asked if he could grant him any wish, Diogenes merely replied, “Stand out of my sunlight.” His disdain for flattery and pretense echoes across the centuries, showing that true wisdom often lies in simplicity and honesty, rather than in elaborate rituals of deceit.

The dangers of the world Torvalds rejects are clear. Backstabbing and manipulation may achieve short-term victories, but they corrode the soul of individuals and the strength of communities. Corporations and kingdoms alike have fallen, not from external enemies, but from internal dishonesty and the slow poison of mistrust. When people speak only in buzzwords and act only for appearances, innovation dies, and genuine human connection is lost. In resisting these forces, Torvalds preserves not only his own integrity but also the purity of the work he creates.

On a personal level, this teaching calls each of us to authentic living. It is easy to be drawn into the games of flattery and passive aggression, to wear the mask of politeness while hiding resentment or ambition. But such a life breeds exhaustion and emptiness. By rejecting the superficial and embracing directness, we create a space for real collaboration, honest speech, and lasting trust. It is an act of courage to live in truth when surrounded by deception.

Let this wisdom echo for future generations: do not bind yourself with the ties of pretense. Whether in a grand palace or a humble home office, speak plainly, act sincerely, and reject the subtle chains of hypocrisy. For the world does not need more polished masks—it needs authentic souls who dare to stand bare and unafraid, even if they wear nothing more than a simple bathrobe.