A dated Steve Jobs interview I was recently exposed to is so chock-full of beautiful quotes I need more than 140 characters to share them with you. The interview is remarkable for a number of reasons including the moment in time it captures. It’s before the real consumer computer revolution and Steve’s vision is so unwavering. It’s wonderful to read this article with the hindsight we have today in 2010. Steve’s vision comes true. And frankly, based on the conviction with which he speaks, why wouldn’t it. The excerpts I’ve chosen to share below are ones that I haven’t really heard Steve talk about before: About more than just the computer business or about great design and products, he’s actually sharing some of his thoughts and philosophies about life.
- “If anyone is reading any of my thoughts, I’d keep that in mind. Don’t take it all too seriously. If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you’ve done and whoever you were and throw them away. What are we, anyway? Most of what we think we are is just a collection of likes and dislikes, habits, patterns. At the core of what we are is our values, and what decisions and actions we make reflect those values. That is why it’s hard doing interviews and being visible: As you are growing and changing, the more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you that it thinks you are, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to go, “Bye. I have to go. I’m going crazy and I’m getting out of here.” And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently.”
- “The minute you have the means to take responsibility for your own dreams and can be held accountable for whether they come true or not, life is a lot tougher. It’s easy to have wonderful thoughts when the chance to implement them is remote. When you’ve gotten to a place where you at least have a chance of implementing your ideas, there’s a lot more responsibility in that.”
From:
http://www.playboy.com/articles/playboy-interview-steven-jobs/index.html?page=2
