--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San…" description: "\"“The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San Francisco homeboy, and a shrewd product of Bay Area Catholic schools—got it. “The difference between San Fra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/david-talbot-11147_bay-area_the-jefferson-airplane-s-paul-kantner-sa_1234317.jpg" --- # The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San Francisco… ![“The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San Francisco homeboy, and a shrewd product of Bay Area Catholic schools—got it. “The difference between San Francisco and Berkeley was that Berkeley complained about a lot of things. Rather than complaining about things, we San Franciscans formed an…” quote by David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/david-talbot-11147_bay-area_the-jefferson-airplane-s-paul-kantner-sa_1234317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/david-talbot-11147_bay-area_the-jefferson-airplane-s-paul-kantner-sa_1234317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f09/david-talbot-11147_bay-area_the-jefferson-airplane-s-paul-kantner-sa_1234317.jpg) > ““The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San Francisco homeboy, and a shrewd product of Bay Area Catholic schools—got it. “The difference between San Francisco and Berkeley was that Berkeley complained about a lot of things. Rather than complaining about things, we San Franciscans formed an alternative reality to live in. And for some reason, we got away with it. San Francisco became somewhere you did things rather than protesting about them. We knew we didn’t have to speechify about what we should and shouldn’t do. We just did.”” [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. San Francisco chose to create a proactive culture instead of constant complaint, leading to innovative actions. **In simple terms:** Action over complaint. Key Takeaway Focus on doing, not just criticizing. Themes innovation culture proactivity Mood optimistic analytical Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - city planning - entrepreneurship - community building Key Concepts urban sociology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What can other cities learn from this mindset? - How does culture shape civic action? A Different Perspective Not all cities can replicate this due to differing histories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bay area](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bay-area/) [Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berkeley/) [Berkeley Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berkeley-berkeley-3830196/) [Berkeley Complained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berkeley-complained-3830195/) [Francisco Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/francisco-berkeley-3830198/) [Jefferson Airplane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-airplane-3830197/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) ## Related quotes > [I was born in Berkeley, California, in 1976, and grew up in and around Oakland and the Bay Area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-fleck/i-was-born-in-berkeley-california-in-1976-and-grew-up-in-and-around/) [Ryan Fleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-fleck/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [The Rolling Stones are much more accomplished than Jefferson Airplane, who are more like tribal people. That is, they present something which exists: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/the-rolling-stones-are-much-more-accomplished-than-jefferson-airplane/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [We went on stage with the Jefferson Airplane, Jim started singing with Grace Slick and hugging her. Then he danced off the stage, went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-manzarek/we-went-on-stage-with-the-jefferson-airplane-jim-started-singing-with/) [Ray Manzarek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-manzarek/) > [Anyway, you know, when Richard Meltzer said rock and roll died in '68, what he means is Jefferson Airplane were no longer his buddies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/anyway-you-know-when-richard-meltzer-said-rock-and-roll-died-in-68/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I love Berkeley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-keilar/i-love-berkeley/) [Brianna Keilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-keilar/) > [I had a great deal of confidence when I graduated from Berkeley. I had almost none when I was at Princeton. After a while,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/i-had-a-great-deal-of-confidence-when-i-graduated-from-berkeley-i-had/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [Carbon nanotubes are amazing because they're really good electrical conductors, yet they are only a few atoms in diameter. You can make transistors out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mceuen/carbon-nanotubes-are-amazing-because-they-re-really-good-electrical/) [Paul McEuen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mceuen/) > [I grew up in Berkeley and my parents were hippies, obviously, since my name's 'Jorma.' I didn't watch much television growing up because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-taccone/i-grew-up-in-berkeley-and-my-parents-were-hippies-obviously-since-my/) [Jorma Taccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-taccone/) > [For Berkeley (normal) vision is a language whereby God tells us about the tangible world. But prior to having experience of the tangible world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/for-berkeley-normal-vision-is-a-language-whereby-god-tells-us-about/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [Oh my research. Well, I got an English Degree. And I got that degree in a certain time/at a certain place. If you add…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/oh-my-research-well-i-got-an-english-degree-and-i-got-that-degree-in/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [At the very top state institutions, like UCLA, Berkeley and the University of Texas, however, the trend of downward minority enrollment remains persistent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/at-the-very-top-state-institutions-like-ucla-berkeley-and-the/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [Therein lies the rub of a place like Berkeley Bowl. You get seduced by an 11-pound apple that turns out to be a fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jad-abumrad/therein-lies-the-rub-of-a-place-like-berkeley-bowl-you-get-seduced-by/) [Jad Abumrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jad-abumrad/) > [Sometimes I can think of nothing more blissful than going to Berkeley and reading Byron for three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-riseborough/sometimes-i-can-think-of-nothing-more-blissful-than-going-to-berkeley/) [Andrea Riseborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-riseborough/) > [We are Bay Aryans from Berkeley: prepare to be reengineered in an attractive range of color schemes for your safety and comfort!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/we-are-bay-aryans-from-berkeley-prepare-to-be-reengineered-in-an/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## More by David Talbot > [Most magazines have become wallpaper, they're all the same, all the same celebrities. It's really an abysmal time in American journalism right now. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/most-magazines-have-become-wallpaper-they-re-all-the-same-all-the/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [I have no regrets about launching Salon. For the life of me, I can't imagine doing anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/i-have-no-regrets-about-launching-salon-for-the-life-of-me-i-can-t/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [Journalism is not just a cause, it's also a wacky profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/journalism-is-not-just-a-cause-it-s-also-a-wacky-profession/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [“Everything leads me to believe it,” he replied. “They got their hands on this communist who wasn’t one, while still being one. He had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/everything-leads-me-to-believe-it-he-replied-they-got-their-hands-on/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [The entire American media apparatus bought into the drug war - which is an enormously damaging and costly undertaking for this country - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/the-entire-american-media-apparatus-bought-into-the-drug-war-which-is/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [“It was like somebody had sprinkled fairy dust on the whole city,” said Cheryl Bertelli, one of Maud’s delirious patrons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/it-was-like-somebody-had-sprinkled-fairy-dust-on-the-whole-city-said/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [I came at age in the '60s, and initially my hopes and dreams were invested in politics and the movements of the time -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/i-came-at-age-in-the-60s-and-initially-my-hopes-and-dreams-were/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [The only school that let me in was U.C. Santa Cruz, which is where I went. They didn't have a journalism program, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/the-only-school-that-let-me-in-was-u-c-santa-cruz-which-is-where-i/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [While I'm critical to the Bush presidency, it's been enormously beneficial for Salon because we're seen as kind of an aggressive watchdog on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/while-i-m-critical-to-the-bush-presidency-it-s-been-enormously/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [There are not that many new media brands you can say that about nowadays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/there-are-not-that-many-new-media-brands-you-can-say-that-about/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [“city’s anthem, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was written in 1954 by two gay lovers who were pining for “the city by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/city-s-anthem-i-left-my-heart-in-san-francisco-was-written-in-1954-by/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [We upgrade URZ to a Buy; we see an entry opportunity with investors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/we-upgrade-urz-to-a-buy-we-see-an-entry-opportunity-with-investors/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [“Gay nightclub diva Sharon McNight rolled her piano into the ward and belted out songs like “Stand By Your Man” as the patients sipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/gay-nightclub-diva-sharon-mcnight-rolled-her-piano-into-the-ward-and/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [FCU's PLS discovery has quickly become one of the most exciting stories in the uranium sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/fcu-s-pls-discovery-has-quickly-become-one-of-the-most-exciting/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) > [It's like a cast of actors; you're all working together closely under pressure to produce something everyday. And when we put up an issue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-talbot/it-s-like-a-cast-of-actors-you-re-all-working-together-closely-under/) [David Talbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) [Explore all 61 David Talbot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-talbot/) ## More Bay area quotes > [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [I like beating the Bay Area traffic by getting into the office early, plus I get at least an hour most mornings to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baiju-bhatt/i-like-beating-the-bay-area-traffic-by-getting-into-the-office-early/) [Baiju Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baiju-bhatt/) > [The Bay Area is so beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while I'm here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-bay-area-is-so-beautiful-i-hesitate-to-preach-about-heaven-while/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The teams in the Bay Area have created a culture of winning, but the Cubs and Metsneed to learn how to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-byrnes/the-teams-in-the-bay-area-have-created-a-culture-of-winning-but-the/) [Eric Byrnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-byrnes/) > [I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-of-abstraction-and-modernist/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I'm going to go back to the Bay Area, this is my thing, and I'm just going to open my own school of baseball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/i-m-going-to-go-back-to-the-bay-area-this-is-my-thing-and-i-m-just/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [I love the Bay Area and I'm excited to play there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bosa/i-love-the-bay-area-and-i-m-excited-to-play-there/) [Nick Bosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bosa/) > [From the small town in Iowa where I grew up, to Chapel Hill where I went to college, to the Bay Area and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/from-the-small-town-in-iowa-where-i-grew-up-to-chapel-hill-where-i/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Caen's San Francisco may not be the city we remember, but it is the city we want to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-brown/caen-s-san-francisco-may-not-be-the-city-we-remember-but-it-is-the/) [Willie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-brown/) > [I was at Stanford University up in the West Coast Bay Area, so the biggest song of my freshman year was 'I Got 5…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/i-was-at-stanford-university-up-in-the-west-coast-bay-area-so-the/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [“McDonald's, meanwhile, continues busily to harass small shopkeepers and restaurateurs of Scottish descent for that nationality's uncompetitive predisposition toward the Mc prefix on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/mcdonald-s-meanwhile-continues-busily-to-harass-small-shopkeepers-and/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [San Francisco has only one drawback—‘tis hard to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/san-francisco-has-only-one-drawback-tis-hard-to-leave/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Sometimes you hear about people who can't wait to leave their hometown. I did not have that feeling at all. I love San Jose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelah-johnson/sometimes-you-hear-about-people-who-can-t-wait-to-leave-their/) [Anjelah Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelah-johnson/) > [For 30 years I wrote for newspapers and magazines, wrote books on the Dallas Cowboys' dynasties of the '70s and '90s, wrote about Michael…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/for-30-years-i-wrote-for-newspapers-and-magazines-wrote-books-on-the/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) [Browse all 167 Bay area quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bay-area/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner—San Francisco homeboy, and a shrewd product of Bay Area Catholic schools—got it. “The difference between San Francisco and Berkeley was that Berkeley complained about a lot of things. 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