Is it a MAN thing?  Do all of you do it?  I know my husband is incapable of cooking anything at a temperature less than red hot and smoking, ruining more of my favorite pans than I care to think of.

Come to think of it, it can't be every man, because here is a rational explanation of cooking using heat conservatively actually WRITTEN by a man. 

Save energy -achieve better taste - win win.

Every cook relies every day on the power of heat to transform food