There’s one huge factor at work, for many programmers. I’m tempted to call it the “wimp factor”, but that’s too negative, so I’ll just call it the “introvert factor”. I’m a perfect example…
I was always small for my age and looked nerdy with my glasses and attraction to books, etc. I was always picked last for sports teams, drew little attention from girls, and was usually the first one to be bullied. It even happened in my own family, subconsciously I hope. It was always easier to pick on the little guy to get what
you want.
Fast forward to adulthood, and not much has changed, especially with bosses. It seems like my boss was always a sales/business guy, extroverted, and bigger than me. His/her natural reaction was to bully, probably because they knew they could get away with it. This was for almost everything: project management, discussions about work, and of course, money.
No more. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but I decided not to take it any more. The more anyone picked on me, the harder I shot back, right between the eyes. Nothing pisses me off more than being bullied, especially about money.