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One of the most important things I’ve ever heard. “When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your lif

by elamje 6y ago

One of the most important things I’ve ever heard. “When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.” - Steve Jobs

polishdude20 6y ago
But Steve I want that limited life. I want to have a nice family life and a job that gives me money and time to enjoy them. So I change and influence my life in a way that accomplishes this.
jjeaff 6y ago
"that's a very limited life". That's one man's opinion. Likely an unhappy man's opinion. In Isaacson's biography of jobs, he said that his last wishes before he died was to get to know his children better. Maybe he changed his mind.
- daseiner1 6y ago
  on the contrary, i find your attitude of a man saying “you can influence” things and you responding with “must be unhappy to think that” is evidence that you are the unhappy one. someone seeing other opportunities is not a challenge to your own choices yet you feel the need to patronize and belittle. it’s a rather repugnant, all too common, attitude in my opinion. rather see the songbird caged than be annoyed by the beauty of its song, i suppose. an ambitious man who died fairly young having regrets is hardly evidence of anything.
- dntbnmpls 6y ago
  > That's one man's opinion. Likely an unhappy man's opinion. Looks like it touched a nerve, but I think you are reading too much into it. It's a very limited life by definition as it's the life that's formulated for you by society. Accepting things are the way they are because you are told so and living your life accordingly is a limited life. Especially compared to his definition of the "broader life". Don't think he meant it's the life everyone wants or should lead or that you should feel bad or insecure about it. Also his fact is very insightful : "one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
  - jjeaff 6y ago
    My opinion of his level of happiness in life was not based on that single comment he made. I am basing it reports from a lot of people that knew him. The consensus seems to be that he ignored his children, was quite terrible towards some of them and that he was rather emotionally and verbally abusive to his employees and those that worked with him (good traits like his genius not withstanding). Seems unhappy to me.
  - skinnymuch 6y ago
    It’s not like OP is basing things off just this. We know Jobs’ history, attitude, and actions. They did not seem to be of a good man. Possibly not a happy man.
- theterriblestid 6y ago
  There was a study https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good... on what made adult men the happiest over their lives. Supposedly it’s having the back of people that also have yours.
hrktb 6y ago
> When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. I feel sorry for the kids being told that. I imagine a number of kids effectively told to not make waves, not rock the boat, learn their place and do what they're being told. Though in my experience that's a minority, and a ton of schools and parents tell their kid they can change the world is they work hard enough for it. On the other side most kids tend to give up too easily or stay within their limits if they are not pushed or encouraged to push their boundaries. That quote is an important message, I wish fewer and fewer people will need it in the first place.
- ryanwaggoner 6y ago
  I think kids are told one thing and taught another. Schools may tell kids to rock the boat and that they can change the world, but it’s pretty clear you can only do it within their boundaries. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. I don’t think you can have schools or other cultural institutions that really train and encourage the kind of change that Steve is referencing here. Almost by definition, radical change requires being anti-establishment in a way that no lasting institution can really foment.
ryukafalz 6y ago
So, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. But reading this quote in the context of Apple is a bit weird - their computers these days are intentionally hard to influence. Would this be different if he were still around? Maybe... but it started with the iPhone, and he was in charge for the first few iterations of that.
yesenadam 6y ago
> one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. Is that actually a fact? Really, "everything around you"? Are we talking about smarter than me, you (reading this now), Jobs? It's a guess at best, an assumption that you're smarter than everyone else. Why assume that?
spectaculum 6y ago
I think this really depends on what you want out of life. For some people, it's a simple life, and if that's truly what they want, then I don't see anything wrong with that. For the go-getters, then Jobs' quote will probably resonate deeply with you. Think of it this way: if today was your last day to live, and as you lay there dying, would you have any regrets?

by elamje 6y ago

polishdude20 6y ago

But Steve I want that limited life. I want to have a nice family life and a job that gives me money and time to enjoy them. So I change and influence my life in a way that accomplishes this.

jjeaff 6y ago

"that's a very limited life". That's one man's opinion. Likely an unhappy man's opinion. In Isaacson's biography of jobs, he said that his last wishes before he died was to get to know his children better. Maybe he changed his mind.

daseiner1 6y ago
on the contrary, i find your attitude of a man saying “you can influence” things and you responding with “must be unhappy to think that” is evidence that you are the unhappy one. someone seeing other opportunities is not a challenge to your own choices yet you feel the need to patronize and belittle. it’s a rather repugnant, all too common, attitude in my opinion. rather see the songbird caged than be annoyed by the beauty of its song, i suppose. an ambitious man who died fairly young having regrets is hardly evidence of anything.
dntbnmpls 6y ago
> That's one man's opinion. Likely an unhappy man's opinion. Looks like it touched a nerve, but I think you are reading too much into it. It's a very limited life by definition as it's the life that's formulated for you by society. Accepting things are the way they are because you are told so and living your life accordingly is a limited life. Especially compared to his definition of the "broader life". Don't think he meant it's the life everyone wants or should lead or that you should feel bad or insecure about it. Also his fact is very insightful : "one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
- jjeaff 6y ago
  My opinion of his level of happiness in life was not based on that single comment he made. I am basing it reports from a lot of people that knew him. The consensus seems to be that he ignored his children, was quite terrible towards some of them and that he was rather emotionally and verbally abusive to his employees and those that worked with him (good traits like his genius not withstanding). Seems unhappy to me.
- skinnymuch 6y ago
  It’s not like OP is basing things off just this. We know Jobs’ history, attitude, and actions. They did not seem to be of a good man. Possibly not a happy man.
theterriblestid 6y ago
There was a study https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good... on what made adult men the happiest over their lives. Supposedly it’s having the back of people that also have yours.

hrktb 6y ago

> When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. I feel sorry for the kids being told that. I imagine a number of kids effectively told to not make waves, not rock the boat, learn their place and do what they're being told. Though in my experience that's a minority, and a ton of schools and parents tell their kid they can change the world is they work hard enough for it. On the other side most kids tend to give up too easily or stay within their limits if they are not pushed or encouraged to push their boundaries. That quote is an important message, I wish fewer and fewer people will need it in the first place.

ryanwaggoner 6y ago
I think kids are told one thing and taught another. Schools may tell kids to rock the boat and that they can change the world, but it’s pretty clear you can only do it within their boundaries. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. I don’t think you can have schools or other cultural institutions that really train and encourage the kind of change that Steve is referencing here. Almost by definition, radical change requires being anti-establishment in a way that no lasting institution can really foment.

ryukafalz 6y ago

So, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. But reading this quote in the context of Apple is a bit weird - their computers these days are intentionally hard to influence. Would this be different if he were still around? Maybe... but it started with the iPhone, and he was in charge for the first few iterations of that.

yesenadam 6y ago

> one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. Is that actually a fact? Really, "everything around you"? Are we talking about smarter than me, you (reading this now), Jobs? It's a guess at best, an assumption that you're smarter than everyone else. Why assume that?

spectaculum 6y ago

I think this really depends on what you want out of life. For some people, it's a simple life, and if that's truly what they want, then I don't see anything wrong with that. For the go-getters, then Jobs' quote will probably resonate deeply with you. Think of it this way: if today was your last day to live, and as you lay there dying, would you have any regrets?