There are widespread complaints today that the “patent system is broken” and that the “smart phone wars” and “patent trolls” are killing innovation. Yet patented innovation has revolutionized our lives today—tablet computers, smart phones and antiviral drugs are just a few of these modern marvels. How to make sense of this contradiction? This talk answers that question and highlights how objectivity in one’s life requires both knowing the right facts and a rational method in thinking about these facts.