I will accept your point about Tesla being not alone in his field for sure...But he was ALWAYS isolated and worked alone... By many aspect he resemble more to a "saint on a mission " than to a scientist, yes...That make his life stuff for legend...And legendary he was...
Anyway he never was a "tinkerer", never was driven by money, and like others was a true scientist...That was my point....His ego was directed toward a mission not toward himself, that separate himself completely from the like of Edison....His scientific output in America and in the world make this mission a reality not only the dream of a narcissist tinkerer...The many spritual aspects of his personality unknown to most, make him more fascinating and out of the norm... His eidetic memory are just one....
He was not alone in his field of research but he was certainly one of the greatest, the like of Steinmetz and unlike tinkerer uneducated Edison: Pure scientist and not business man first and not business man at all....
For politeness you are right...My character mimic yours i like discussions without hypocrisy....
But being in face of one another is not the same than being in a forum....We dont have any clues here emotional or physical, then misconceptions are easy, then politeness and a bit of humility help at first contact ...No ?
And like you i dont want for myself the life in a Confucean extended family for the same reason...