Author probably never led any big project, and never experienced the amount of criticism one gets for doing anything. Furthermore the critics are the real dictators, having done nothing besides using (probably for free) your product they are the know-it-alls. Sure it's good to be humble, but you shouldn't listen to everybody. As for the designers, more often than not it isn't hybris, but miscommunication. Or maybe they're just lacking in public relations.

And then there is this huge community of interface-conservatives, they are against change per se...