Being blind to power is an endorsement of corruption.  This is true not just in governments and bullies but also in recognizing our own power to change them.

I came across a pretty solid definition ofBias for Action – if you see something wrong…fix it rather than waiting for someone with more authority to tell you to fix it.

Silicon Valley is surrounded by an impenetrable moat of bullshit jargon whose tides are stunning to behold in their own rite. The effluvium spills out of an environment of merciless hucksterism with entrepreneurs desperate to do anything at odds with the staggering arrogance of venture capitalists burning money at the pyre of technology. When I leave and come back, this place seems utterly insane. The entrepreneurs have no products and no experience while the people giving them money have no track record of successful investing. It’s amazing to behold and yet still produces one of the most economically active zones on the planet.

The language reflects a culture immersed in deal making. For instance, the term “elevator pitch” comes from the idea that every person in Menlo Park is entirely willing to sell you a company between the lobby and the third floor! People actually try this and it’s weird because there aren’t even that many elevators in the Bay Area!!