October 6, 2011

Genius

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

With apologies to my friend David Brady...

I really don't know much about Steve Job's personal life, but if he never got to wake up to the smell of campfires with mist rising off the river, if he never got to run laughing through the pouring rain while camping, or was visited by the Armadillos at Ft Wilderness Campground, or listened to the howl of coyotes from a Panther Junction hillside, or watched the red sun rise on the West Texas prairie while trying to keep warm from a steaming cup of coffee........I'm not sure I would trade lives.

Each of us here live better than the Kings of a century ago. We have found our passion and are likely not slaves to the world order, but have made it our slave. I would like to think I would honor your lives as equal, or even surpassing Steve Jobs. While I admire his successes, His brief life is a good reminder that we have precious little time to enjoy our success and no amount of money can help when your number comes up.

Jobs was riviled by some, loved by many, and there likely is much that could be said to strip away the veneer of greatness. Regardless of how you feel, it must be acknowledged that the man was just crazy enough to change the world .



"Why continue? Because we must. Because we have the call. Because it is nobler to fight for rationality without winning than to give up in the face of continued defeats. Because whatever true progress humanity makes is through the rationality of the occasional individual and because any one individual we may win for the cause may do more for humanity than a hundred thousand who hug their superstitions to their breast."
― Isaac Asimov

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3 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Good post. Neat vid. Great quote.

Mule Breath said...

The video is an Apple advertisement from back in the 90's. The quotes speak for themselves.

Kernut the Blond said...

Nice post and reminder of what's important. Steve knew that well. The Bay Area (my last known home town) is abuzz with the news of his passing. I think we're a bit stunned, too. But, unlike many of the "dot com" moguls, he was humble and kind (I know several who've met him - as well as the other, less humble, moguls.)

I just read a fascinating article about Steve's life - he was Buddhist, a pescetarion, adopted, etc. I had no idea.