> "I have a genuine question and I'm not trying to be snarky -- do people actually think this way in real life, or is it an elaborate social game of pretending

> "I have a genuine question and I'm not trying to be snarky -- do people actually think this way in real life, or is it an elaborate social game of pretending to be more "passionate" than the next guy?" The instinct for tribalism is strong and that tendency is aided by the cheerleading that's done at all-hands meetings and other motivational internal meetings. I have met more than a few people who were long term employees who were genuinely gung-ho about their employer but they had a rude awakening when the the business needed to do layoffs for the first time.