“5. If you think someone is an asshole, then everyone else does, too.
When I met people that I didn’t like, I wondered if it was my fault or the person’s. Perhaps I had gotten her all wrong, and other people adored and respected her. After much investigation, I formulated the Rule of Perfect Information About Orifices; that is, if you think someone is an orifice, pretty much everyone thinks she’s an orifice, too. There is seldom disagreement about orifices. The same, however, is not true about good guys. If you think someone is a good guy, you should never assume most people agree with you.
6. Life is too short to deal with assholes.
Continuing on the orifice track … I’m now fifty-one years old, so more than half my life is over. At this age, there’s not enough time left to accommodate orifices—frankly, there’s not enough time to take care of the people you like. Why should you waste time with people you don’t? So no matter how great a customer, partner, or vendor someone could or should be, don’t give that person part of your life. Orifices not only waste your time, they taint your soul for the time you spend with the people you like.”
- Guy Kawasaki, Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist and Original member of the Apple Macintosh Team, from his book, Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
