Ken's mind just works in a different way to most people. You explain your problem to him and he'll respond with some question or statement that turns your entire perspective inside out.
"The aggressive use of a small number of abstractions is, I think, the direct result of a very small number of people who interact closely during the implementation."
What exactly is his unique insight? Do you know any specifics or are you just speaking on behalf of the fact that he's a famous programmer?
I say this as someone whose Planetside2 character is named: "KenThompsonHackerExtraordinaire"