Just armchair psychology here, but I think that, in the context of a software problem, the fight-vs.-flight response differentiates the true hackers--I mean that in the good sense, by the bye--from those who write code for a living. As you can imagine, the hacker will latch onto a problem with the grip of a bull-dog's jaws and the tenacity of Death itself. (Which is both an upside and downside, as anyone who's had to pry any dog's jaws open will appreciate.)
But here's the rub: Not all problems are created equal. When the "problem" is rescuing people from their own sloppiness/laziness, pffffttt: fuggeddabouddit. Give it to the "flight" crowd and don't be silly enough to expect enthusiasm. When, on the other hand, the problem approaches the software equivalent of a double-dog-dare, that's a different matter entirely.
In other words, if you want progress, know your "solvers" and choose your "problems" well.
