Most people have been around the valley long enough to learn exactly what these values mean when it comes down to it. People are wise not to be drawn in too much to cultural platitudes of a company.
> “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”
Good point, a lot of cynicism is earned. I think that it is absolutely vital for culture to be modeled from the top.
Also, owners and corporate stakeholders are often so married to their work, that they have a difficult time understanding folks that aren't (like most of their employees). That means you can hear things like "I sleep in my office every weeknight, so I expect you to, as well."
Part of modeling culture is to understand others, and that's where most people fall down.
But I also think that cynical employees often grow into cynical, toxic managers, and that's where a lot of damage is done.
For myself, I have followed a path of personal growth, for my entire adult life, and I brought that with me to work. It helps me to feel decent about myself, my peers, and the world, in general (and I can still be a cynic, but one with a significant vein of love and tolerance).
> “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”