(February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)
“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together, and will continue to do that. There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I’ve ever seen is called television — but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” [Rolling Stone, Dec. 3, 2003]
Focus on technology bringing people together. I know I and a few Cancer the Crabs out there argue this main point. He speaks truthflly about technology not really doing the world absolute good. Technology can be used for stupid purposes, but stupid people who don't know there purpose will use anything for those means. Technology in its purest form is a way to connect to the world through the world and with the world.
“We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn’t build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren’t going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build.
When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]
Hey look at that, a keen insight and interest in design and art -especially with creating high, credible quality. A true artist.
“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in
our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they
don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very
linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem.
The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the
better design we will have. [Wired, February 1996
Damn...!!! 1. Doesn't take credit for the creative process -I
observed and I created, I just Did It Naturally. 2. "Thought more
about their experiences than other people" -Reflective!!! That's
what I do. My brain won't shut up about my experiences and I
learn everything I can from them. 3. Broad perspective -a Pisces
mind is about as broad as it gets. We are able to make connections
and understand concepts more easily and figure things out in a
unique way most people can't. 4. "Broad understanding of the
human experience" -Pisces are border-line Therapists. We get it.
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn’t be ours anymore. When we finally presented it at the shareholders’ meeting, everyone in the auditorium gave it a five-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe we’d actually finished it. Everyone started crying.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]
I imagine if I had dedicated enough of myself to one art piece and had actually managed to see it through and present it to people who then praised it, it would be like giving birth to a child people instantly fell in love with.
“You know, my main reaction to this money thing is that it’s humorous, all the attention to it, because it’s hardly the most insightful or valuable thing that’s happened to me.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]
Money isn't insightful or profound and therefore is not of as great of value as Experiences and Achievements. Pisces trait...
“The problem is I’m older now, I’m 40 years old, and this stuff doesn’t change the world. It really doesn’t.
“I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much — if at all.
“These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I’m not downplaying that.
“But it’s a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light — that it’s going to change everything. Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” [Wired, February 1996]
Humble downplay of his products as not the greatest thing since sliced bread. He keeps things in proper perspective. Art doesn't save lives, but it does make life worth living.
“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together, and will continue to do that. There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I’ve ever seen is called television — but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” [Rolling Stone, Dec. 3, 2003]
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]
Tru dat. I never feel more fulfilled in my life when I go to bed at night knowing i accomplished something great that day. In fact I don't want to fall asleep in that moment because I don't want to wake up the next morning without that feeling.
“You’re missing it. This is not a one-man show. What’s reinvigorating this company is two things: One, there’s a lot of really talented people in this company who listened to the world tell them they were losers for a couple of years, and some of them were on the verge of starting to believe it themselves. But they’re not losers. What they didn’t have was a good set of coaches, a good plan. A good senior management team. But they have that now.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]
Giving credit to people who have earned it. Not conceited. Focusing on self-improvement, encouragement, and leadership. They're not losers, they just need to be guided and built up to succeed. That's a Pisces. We are artist taking things the world sees as plain and casts aside as nothing, and transform it through our time and energy into something beautiful and meaningful.
“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it. That’s somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That’s when you find out who you are and what your values are.
“So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they’re gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective.” [Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000]
Patience and commitment. Pisces... also the ability to Persevere. Creating a Legacy through Vision.
“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.” [1982, quoted in Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple, 1987]
The interesting thing about this statement is the fact that Pirates hate rules and regulations and have more of a "free spirit" to seek what they want out of life. Navy represents regulations and following orders. Pisces hate institutions that are strict and regimented. Artists like to color outside of the lines.
“When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It’s the truth.” [Wired, February 1996]
T.V. does bother me sometimes. I see most of t.v. shows as crap. To be specific, 90% of all t.v. shows are crap. But then every once in a while shows like Lost will come around to remind people of the amazing quality of the 10% and we'll feel that loss when those shows end. No one will give a damn if Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, or Super Nanny end. But I still miss Lost.
I’m an optimist in the sense that I believe humans are noble and honorable, and some of them are really smart. I have a very optimistic view of individuals. As individuals, people are inherently good. I have a somewhat more pessimistic view of people in groups. And I remain extremely concerned when I see what’s happening in our country, which is in many ways the luckiest place in the world. We don’t seem to be excited about making our country a better place for our kids.” [Wired, February 1996]
Hey look at that. An Optimist who believes in the Inherent good of Human nature. But he also hates Institutions and Groups of people that get together and mess things up.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]
Faith in the unknown aka the Divine Universe. Also "Looking Back Towards the Future" Pisces Approach. I let my knowledge gained by past experiences guide my present to the best future. Zing! Pisces.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]
Awww... this quote is sweet. It has the heart and genuine feeling written all over it. Pisces encouragement and wisdom.
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]
I tried using this exact mantra when I was in my teens. It didn't work. Fear of embarssasment and faliure kept holding me back. It was tormenting. I had no "pride" though. I had no confidence.
“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]
On the back of my high school Me Book I made senior year for English class to show my "high school journey" I collaged the quote, "Death is more Universal than Life -Everbody Dies, but not everbody Lives".
He also argued again against Dogmatic regulations. He mentioned being overpowered by other people's opinions -a Pisces issue. And lastly he mentioned following Intuition, something a Pisces is deeply connected and guided through. I have 165% more respect for this man now, knowing the Wisdom he left behind for people than I did when he was just someone who was good at making machines shiny and well- designed.
Steve taught me, You don’t have to be rich to make something expensive. Quality is quality at any price. Creativity and pursuing dreams is always where true Quality rests.
Dear Fellow TruthSeeker,
ReplyDeleteIt was meant for us to discuss Steve Jobs. God/Universe/Cosmos/All meant for it to be. It can be no coincidence that he is a Pisces, something you have taught me about, no mere chance that we had tension over him this exact week (like prophecy), no mistake that we are meant to discuss him and learn from one another about him.
I read your write-up here about him, and no doubt he was a Champion in terms of creative thought and originality. Until he came back in 1997, after being booted from Apple in disgrace, America was lagging the world in terms of technology. We were really good at making bombs but sucked at making phones and electronics. It was embarrassing, really --- to live in Europe and see them having phones that were WAY ahead of ours. I hated the fact that we weren’t leading the world in innovation anymore. But Steve Jobs changed all that. He created the iPhone, now the envy of the world and a standard everyone is trying to beat. He began a revolution in Silicon Valley that has now placed America once more in the forefront of technology and innovation and did it in the name of Capitalism, which, alongside of Democracy, is in my opinion the best form of finance and government ever conceived and practiced by man. As a patriotic American, I give Steve Jobs serious props for this. He was the pinnacle example of the true American spirit.
And yet, I must confess that I still view Steve Jobs as a colossal failure as a human being, and a colossal failure in terms of spiritual worth. And spiritual worth is the most important thing of all. This world and all of its innovation will not last forever --- the only things that will last forever are the things that are now invisible to us but will one day be clearly seen. It is our investments towards these spiritual things that truly decides our worth. And Steve Jobs --- unless I see proof otherwise --- was worthless because he had no charity/love. A man of his immense wealth gave zero of it to the poor --- how amazing could he have been in innovating the most important act on the planet? Giving? Charity/Love?
Charity/Love is a word that the Bible uses interchangeably. Love = giving. And the Bible says that giving freely, sacrificing of ourselves, is the #1 act that one can do. It is more important than our stands on homosexuality. More important than how well we know our Bible. More important than the rules and laws of religion. As a matter of fact, that Bible says that if we do not have love/charity, we have nothing at all.
There was once a man named Nebuchadnezzar. He king over the world at one time, when Babylon was pretty much how America is today for the world. He built amazing structures, world-renowned. In fact, some say that he built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the 7 Wonders of the World (can I request that you cover these original 7 Wonders, one by one (one blog per Wonder, in the blog here? I would love to have your study them and teach me about them from your pure Pisces PoV. I would love to hear your thoughts on them --- just a suggestion). He was truly the Steve Jobs of his day.
And yet God told him that he needed to humble himself and get his life right, or God would strike him with mental illness. God told him exactly what he needed to do, he said to *take care of the poor*. Nebuchadnezzar did not, and was struck mentally ill for 4-7 years until he humbled himself and took care of the poor.
His grandson, Belshazzar, although he knew of what happened to his grandfather, didn’t follow God’s advice and died at a very young age.
ReplyDeleteJesus tells the story of a rich man and a man named Lazarus. Lazarus was a poor man, who would ask the rich man for money. The rich man never did. The rich man ended up going to hell, for the simple reason that he did not give to the poor.
In the book of James, it says that true religion is taking care of the needy.
Jesus said “What does it benefit a man to gain the entire world, and yet lose his soul?”
The Bible makes a direct link between the condition of our soul and our giving to the poor and needy.
Buddhism also considers giving to the poor a pinnacle of the path towards Nirvana, and idea very compatible with Christianity --- we agree on this.
And so, I cannot, in conclusion, view Steve Jobs as being a success. He was a failure in the most important way possible --- in an area he could have succeeded in like few others in history. He didn’t have to be a failure in this. Bill Gates gives tremendously to the poor. Rockefeller, an American of the same caliber and fame as Jobs, gave most of what he had to the poor. These two men are also innovators, phenomenal people...but also a success in the art of what is the most important thing of all --- they gave. They showed love/charity.
There is nothing more important than this. What is the benefit of being great in technology and innovation, yet a failure in love/charity? For people like you and I, who’s priority is in the latter, there is no benefit. You say that you are not impressed by wealth/material things and that you find worth in the invisible things --- I’ve seen you state that. Well, I think that your conclusions regarding jobs will alter somewhat with further study of his character.
We are supposed to mourn the loss of life, and give props where they are due. Let’s do this for Steve Jobs. But let’s also be sure not to forget what Life truly means, and Love/Charity are the most important things in the world.
John said: “God is Love”.
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I hate blogspot right now. I painted the Mona Lisa with my words of response and it pasted nothing and now I have to start from scratch. DAMN YOU BLOGSPOT. I Am Pissed.
ReplyDeleteUgggghhhhzzzz!!!
This is the exact reason i gave up playing Sims. You don't save my data and time and effort, I stop putting time and energy and effort into you. Damn You Blogspot!!!
Sorry... I had to vent.
Sure it posted that just fine... Uggghhszzzz...
ReplyDelete"a colossal failure as a human being, and a colossal failure in terms of spiritual worth"
-Firstly, again, "Failure is an event, never a person".
I think you are tkaing things too personally. When you put someone on a pedistle you expect more from them than they usually give. No one does that to Snooki. No one expects Snooki to give anything of value to humanity. And yet we Expect that of Steve Jobs, even though he has already given more than Snooki. You take what lessons you can from people. You can't be let down if they fall short of your expectations. Just learn what you can from them.
I'm paranoid dnow, so I'll just post this to make sure it takes.
AWWWW CRUD!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's why when I have a long response for you, I write it out on google docs first and then copy and paste it here....
Failure is most certainly a person --- we are all mean to be something amazing in God's eyes, and if we do not succeed, we most certainly fail.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I do take matters having to do with the most important act of spirituality seriously. I would hope everyone does.
I don't know who Snooki is, but different levels of responsibility are expected of different people. It's why "snooki" can send a picture of himself naked to a girl via text and not get in trouble, but if a senator does it, he is fired.
I am most certainly let down by people if they do not live up to my expectations because I love to see people fulfill what they are supposed to.
Finally, the things that make us happy or sad are supposed to be in line with what God is happy or sad about. I 100% guarantee that God is unhappy that Jobs gave 0% of his 9 billion worth to the poor.
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The seriously above --- I meant "personally".
ReplyDeleteYou know Blogspot... one of the services you provide is the Comment Box. The other is the Blog itself. You're not doing too hot on either and yet those are the only two service you provide. I hate you...
ReplyDeleteNebuchadnezzar.
-Firstly, Aweomsome name.
Yes it is strange how Steve Jobs had Bipolar disorder -which is very similar to ADD and Social Anxiety Disorder in terms of psychological issues and treatment which Adam Levine, Emily, and I have- and then on top he was also dealt the card of Cancer. In fact there seems to be a pattern of Pisces who do not achieve Fame through their Talent but lose sight of spiritual growth/unity/or perspective who end up dying earlier in life.
Jesus said “What does it benefit a man to gain the entire world, and yet lose his soul?”
-I love Jesus :)
"What is the benefit of being great in technology and innovation, yet a failure in love/charity?"
-Yes. I can't believe I have to write this again, but it was a beautiful point so I'll try and illustrate it again.
The Lesson of Steve Jobs has nothing to do with placing too much emphasis on Money or Fame, but instead on Talent and Creativty. For a Pisces these traits come easy. If one is lucky these talents can lead to Fae or Money -thing Pisces usually don't give a damn about ayway. But where Steve Jobs fell was here. He invested too much into his Thoughts and his Talets and not enough on his Soul.
When I first heard he died i thought, "Oh God. What about his soul? He doesn;t have the light. When I see him, when I think of him, I just see Cold. No Warmth. Not light. No Love. Where is his soul now?" I pity him. Not everyone is fortunate enough to see The Path. He missed it.
I believe Steve Jobs has compassion. I read it in his words. But he failed to Act on his Compassion. He had the car on the road but he never drove it anywhere.
I love Abraham Lincoln. I love Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi and Jesus and Buddha. I Love W.E.B. DuBois. But I can't say I love Steve Jobs. The others found the Divine and Love and acted through them. I see them as emblemetic examples of God and his Divinity through Man. But Steve didn't have this. He seemed Cold.
I appreciate the fact that as a Pisces Steve was able to overcome Fear and Self-Doubt in the face of Others. But he was too focused on his houghts and creativity. His talents distracted him from his Soul. He is a lesson. I don't hate him. I'm not disappointed in him. I pity him.
*"In fact there seems to be a pattern of Pisces who do not achieve Fame through their Talent"
ReplyDelete-I meant DO Achieve
I agree with these conclusions. Wish you'd had wrote them originally (lol), but whatever.
ReplyDeleteI despise hero-worship...because very few people who are worshipped as such, if you study their lives, are worthy of it.
There must be a voice of truth in this wave of current Steve-Jobs-is-God foolishness taking place.
Where are our values? Do we not see giving to the poor as NUMBER ONE anymore? Society clearly does not.
Of course we are to learn from everyone. We are to learn from the most evil of people. But let's keep things in perspective....
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I don't think most people know enough about Steve Jobs to know he refused to donate to charity. I certainly didn't until you said so. They just appreciate his Talent and his products.
ReplyDeletehi all,
ReplyDeletesome pisceans like to do charity with their two hands only, with out giving any public stunt... as that is the real charity according to them...this is what Jesus asked the folks to do...who knows Steve has done something like that???