I think the "lone" part of the phrase is what's problematic. I don't think people intend to claim that they worked entirely on their own in isolation. I interpr

I think the "lone" part of the phrase is what's problematic. I don't think people intend to claim that they worked entirely on their own in isolation. I interpret it more as having been noticeably in a league of their own; possessing some special vision or quality that separated them from their peers. The same thing comes up all the time with Steve Jobs, people will say variants of "he's nothing without his contemporaries." And yet, he somehow managed to be the driving force that brought all those people together to create some amazing things, and those contemporaries believed in him. I guess it does just come down to differing philosophies where some people are unhappy with glorifying individual efforts.