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PROMISCUITY FOR THE MIND
Music to read by: three stunning tracks :
https://bit.ly/SLADE_LIGHTNING_NEVER_STRIKES_TWICE ;
https://bit.ly/STEPPENWOLF_BORN_TO_BE_WILD ;
https://bit.ly/STYX_RENEGADE
When transplanted, it is ungainly, out-of-place, and will not work. SJ belongs to Apple and vice versa. It will forever be so.
There are world-class greats I simply worship. Yogi Berra for his Berra-isms (“The future ain't what it used to be"), Hemingway (for his sledgehammer simple writing), Jim Corbett ( setting my childhood on fire to this day), Kurt Godel (Incompleteness), Kris Holm (Unicycling), Alex Honnold (The Greatest Athlete), Jackson Pollock (His art made me take my only pilgrimage)…. And of course Steve Jobs (SJ)...which is where the trouble starts.
In my roles as teacher, consultant, brief taker & giver, speaker, interviewer, interviewee, writer, SJ causes me endless grief, altercations, near-fisticuffs, lost friendships&business, and worse. And here’s why….a partial list….
SJ & The case of the Commencement speech Here is a memorable exchange between two icons:
Albert Einstein: 'You don't say a word, yet the world understands you!' Charlie Chaplin: 'But your glory is even greater! The whole world admires you, even though they don't understand a word of what you say.'"
And this double should wrap up the argument. For 'that' SJ speech inspires people to two utterly incompatible pairs of incongruities:
The mayhem this causes is beyond redemption. How on earth do I convince corporate honchos intending motivational lectures to stay away from quoting this speech? Their audience may be foolish enough, if they get hungry as well, this would surely amplify trouble. And besides the only dots, most have them have encountered if at all, are on things we cannot mention politely. Besides, this speech was made to a bunch of potential college drop-outs (!), ..not poor employees without options.
SJ & The Case of Cause & Effect One of the bedrock principles in Science is to separate C from E. Because there is a one-way relationship. For sure. Many great scientists are eccentric. Eccentricity begets not great Scientists. Some great artists have indulged in narcotics. Being permanently high does not guarantee...you know where this is going. SJ was a strange kind of genius,even considering geniuses are usually difficult to fathom. And was a college dropout. And sometime fruitarian. Believed in the futility of deo. Nixed medical intervention for a life-threatening illness. Was known to be...er..a forceful leader…we can go on... none of this is a prerequisite to be the kind of genius that massively influences the music industry, phone industry, animation... computing.. software... Cause and effect need to be understood. Wearing turtleneck sweaters does not guarantee that you will be the darling of the stock market.
SJ and the case of “Insanely great” SJ demanded 'Insanely Great' whatever. And SJ got insanely great whatever. The keen observer will notice that it was SJ doing the demanding and the getting. QED.
When I get briefs from clients I dread the invariable 'Insane' request. They want an 'Insanely great Training Programme' or 'Insanely Great Brand Ideas’ or ‘Insanely great Rubber Bands”. It is hopeless. I need to convince them
A. They are not SJ, not even close
B. I am not remotely inspired by their soap, shampoo, kutte ka biskut (dog biscuit), credit card, or whatever else they are peddling this season.
C. The insanity is glaringly obvious. But great cannot happen just because one reads a SJ book
D. If they have spent what looks like a major World Bank Loan for an iPhone XXXV, they should not expect to recover it via me.
SJ & The case of Disruptive Technology SJ had a preternatural grasp of technology and how it would evolve. SJ was disruptive because he thought differently. That was how he worked. And his outputs became the stuff of disruptive legend. He did not subscribe to a correspondence course on disruptive technology as preparation. And do note: SJ did it first. Academics labeled it Disruptive Technology AFTERWARDS.
So if one wishes employees, children, associates, or other such captives to create disruptive technology, be my guest. But do remember. As it stands, things are so uncertain, disruption is a core feature: we could do with less. And technology is not all that it is cracked up to be. With over 20 Apple devices at home, there is still a “please wake me up at “xx. yy a.m” note on my door !!!!!
SJ and Design He designed to his own maniacally insane standards. He manufactured it to his own maniacally insane standards. His Market Research dept had a staff of one – SJ. Many of his products bombed in the market. SJ could not care less. To hell with suppliers, employees, stock markets, investors, and customers. And not just products. Everything had to be insanely great design. Posters, mar.comm., packaging, offices, showrooms, showroom tables, showroom table placement….Hell even the angle (was 70° now 76°) at which the Laptop screen must be displayed. Apple employees walk round and round stores to set the angle back to 76° after customers have handled the computers. I kid you not!!! Past just pathological drive.
As a woodworker, with a studio, atelier, and workshop I am often lectured to by clients about Apple and design. I adore the Apple bit for I pray to it most days. I just resent people who design only with their mouth, a big one at that, at high gas temperature.
SJ as an Example (to Students and Parents) SJ is an example for some. And an extremely complex and gut-wrenching example at that.
SJ & Summing up
You might wish to apply the modified Serenity Prayer before you use SJ in any context:
And to summarise, see this line from the selfsame commencement speech: Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Even if that someone is Steve Jobs himself !!!!
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