Steve Jobs Commencement Speech (2005)
Stanford University
Ethos - Pathos - Logos
In the above commencement speech, Steve Jobs says "you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards." He follows this by saying "you must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path." He says this with the intention of imposing some wisdom on his audience, who is also concerned with issues of the past as much as the future. Even though you are only starting your college career, Jobs' gives advice that you might find relevant as your journey begins.
Using the above quote as a springboard for thinking about the author's message to his "intended" audience, write a short 500 word response to Jobs' advice, as it relates to you. What does the quote above mean to you as a college freshman? What kinds of choices would Jobs want you to make? Give specific examples, considering your own goals and life path. How does the purpose of Jobs' speech change as his audience changes from a graduating class at Stanford to an entering class in UH Manoa?
DUE: By Saturday at 5pm, posted in the comments field of this post.
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Sumheir Hammad
Response to 9/11 - Then vs. Now
Assignment: Write a poem that either:
#1) speaks to YOUR experience with 9/11 regarding your own culture, gender, age, and social position
#2) RESPONDS to Hammad's rhetorical choises
#3) is in the voice of Hammad, 12 years after 9/11 (what kind of poem WOULD she write)?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAustin Brandon
ReplyDeleteSeptember 12, 2013
Ms. Gusman
Composition
When you think of Steve Jobs, Apple comes to mind. A man who was fired by the multimillion dollar company he started, only to be rehired after creating another multimillion dollar company named Pixar. When he speaks you can only listen because only a fool would not stop to take the advice from a true visionary. When Steve Jobs speaks to the graduating class at Stanford, all are silent just hoping to have some of his success rub on them. One thing that really stood out from Jobs speech was when he stated "You cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards. You must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path."
As a Christian, the dots he was talking about become more than just trusting they will connect. It is trusting that these dots, whether good or bad, are all part of God’s plan for you. When you go through difficult obstacles in your life all you see is the bad, until years later when you realize you had to overcome that obstacle to excel. This is what Steve Jobs is trying to say to not only the graduating class, but parents and children as well. You are never too old or young to go through trials in your life. You may not see it now but it could be good for you. You cannot shoot an arrow unless you pull it back first.
Steve Jobs says repeats “Do what you love” over and over again because he believes that is the key to success. Once I heard him say this I took a look about myself and what I planned to major in and I realized I am not doing what I love. I am majoring in Business Administration and that is the very thing I hate the most. I hate those men that go to their fancy offices’ in their nice Italian suits’ just to make a bunch of money they will never be able to enjoy. I have always been against going to college because I believe that true knowledge comes from the experiences you have. Knowledge should not be measured by what a piece of paper says you know. Why do I do what I hate? I do it because going to college is what my parents and society thinks is the only way to be successful.
Adults always told me there is no money in this and there is no money in that. I love graphic design, but I let society tell me I had to get a business degree to be successful. Thanks to Steve Jobs I now know I don’t have to conform to what they tell me to be. I can be what I want and I will love every minute of it. Steve Jobs was trying to get this message across to everyone, it is never too late to change you attitude and do what you love. He also wanted to let those little kids there that even though they are told how they are supposed to live their lives it is okay not to do it. He dropped out of college and look at him now.
Steve Jobs should be an inspiration to everyone. Not only did he beat all the odds, he overcame situations that made him grow as a person. Everybody can do what they love. They may not be as rich and famous as Steve Jobs but they will be happy. According to Steve Jobs that is all that really matters. Go out and do what you love because in the end you will never regret it.
Until class on Thursday, I have never known much about Steve Jobs. I honestly did not even know he was the founder of Apple, because I’m a Windows person, I have never paid much attention. However, one thing I did know about Steve Jobs was he is known for his motivational, life impacting quotes. Whenever I was looking for quotes on the internet, his would always pop up and I really enjoyed looking at them. I have seen many of his quotes, but never have I seen the quote he said in his Stanford University Commencement speech. Steve Jobs quote stated “you cannot connect the dots looking forwards; you can only connect them looking backwards. You must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path.” What he said was a real attention grabber and is now forever stuck in the heads of young adults just like me, all across the nation. Honestly, for as long as I could remember I have always known what I wanted to be when I grew up, I have never had a change of heart. One of the last things my father said to be before I left for college was, you never know what your final career will end up being. You may get there and decide it’s not what you thought it would be and change your major, but you will never know until it has happened. What my father said reminds me a lot of what Steve said in the speech. You will never know what is coming next, you just need to have faith that everything will turn out in the end and you need to believe in yourself. Not a lot of freshmen know what they want do to yet, but some think that they have it all figured out, just as I believe I do. However, I know that college will change your thoughts. Whatever the outcome is for me, one thing I do know is that Steve Jobs will want me to make sure my future is full of happiness. Never settle for less than you deserve. Whatever life decisions you may make in the next couple of years, make sure that they are going to be able to create you the happiness you deserve. Life will throw you a thousand tough decisions at once; your job is to trust that it will end well. You truly just have to trust, because there is nothing that will confirm with you that you’re making the right decision. In my life path specifically, Jobs would want me to reach all of the goals I have set. Not just for college, but even beyond that. College is where my life path begins, it’s the start of my future; I need to make sure I will succeed with happiness. Some goals are to not only get good grades in my classes, but to enjoy the path I am taking. Sometimes if you feel something is not right, you will need to change your path of direction, and that is okay to do so.
ReplyDeleteMegan Iwanaga
ReplyDeleteMs. Gusman
ENG 100
13 September 2013
“You cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards. You must trust the dots…believing that they will connect…even if they lead you off the well-worn path.” This is a quote that was spoken by Apple creator, Steve Jobs, at Stanford University’s commencement ceremony in 2005. In this commencement speech, Jobs speaks of his journey through life doing what he loves. He begins by explaining how he dropped out of college after realizing that college could not help him figure out what he truly wanted to do with his life. Even though he had no idea where he was going, he began to do only things that interested him; he designed the first Mac and founded, not one, but two of the most successful companies to exist today – Apple and Pixar.
As a new college student, what I take from this speech and Steve Jobs’ advice is that a college diploma does not define your success. You do not always need a college diploma to do what you love – what you are truly passionate about. Success is being able to do what you love every single day of your life. However, in my case, a college degree is definitely needed. Since I was in kindergarten, I had always had a slight interest in becoming a teacher. Last year, I completed a senior project on the benefits of incorporating Brain Gym in the classroom, and I was able to shadow a kindergarten teacher for about a week. During my time with that kindergarten class, I had a moment of realization – working with these young students will not really be work, I will never dread it. Instead, teaching will be something that I can look forward to every single day.
Looking more specifically at Steve Jobs’ quote, I believe what he means is that there is not always a clear path guiding you to your future. You do not always have to follow what others are doing to reach their success, in order to reach your; like going to college for example. Sometimes you only need to set your eyes on where you want to be and stop worrying so much about how you will get there – there is no way of knowing exactly where one path will take you. If you focus solely on doing what you really want to do, you will never fail to reach your desired destination. When you reach your success, only then will you be able to look back and draw out the path that you traveled.
I was lucky to realize my true interest before entering college. I feel that this speech, not so much inspired me to change my views on the pathway to success, but rather it reassured me that I am making the right kinds of choices. It also gives me further hope that great things can happen. Like we discussed in class: if Steve Jobs, a college dropout, could be successful, then who’s to say that I can’t be successful, too.
Steve Jobs is an extremely successful entrepreneur and is best known as the founder of Apple Corporation, the world leader in computer manufacturing and development. In 2005 Stanford University invited Jobs to be the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony. Jobs’ life clearly was filled with many ups and downs and to highlight this he said,” you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards…you must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path."(Jobs) Here Jobs is telling the graduates of Stanford that everything happens for a reason, and with hard work and determination everything will most likely work out for the best. When Jobs dropped out of college he began taking college classes that actually interested him; one of these classes was a calligraphy class. At the time this class probably seemed pretty useless to Jobs. However, ten years down the road Jobs used this calligraphy class to design the ingenious layout of the Macintosh’s keyboard and font styles, which is one of the reasons that Macs are so popular today. When I was ten years old I was in love with the sport of skiing, but sadly I only skied twice a year due to the fact that I lived in southern California. At this time my dad’s company was about to sell. My dad told me when it sold we were going to move to Montana where he was going to open a ski rental store. For me this was a dream come true; but two months down the road his company’s acquisition fell through, which meant we were not going to move to Montana. At the time I was devastated and thought my future was ruined. However, shortly after this I found the sport of bodyboarding. For the next eight years the sport of bodyboarding literally ran my life, and it is ultimately the reason why I decided to study at the University of Hawaii. If I had moved to Montana I would have never started bodyboarding and would have never moved to Hawaii, which as of right now has been one of the best experiences of my life.
ReplyDeleteI think Jobs message and purpose in his speech remains the same despite the audience that he is presenting it to. For example, I am a freshman in college and I think I get the same thing out of his speech as the graduating class of Stanford did. Jobs’ main point that he is trying to get across to his audience is that sometimes events happen in the present that don’t make sense at the time that they occur, but with hard work and perseverance things will almost always turn out for the best. This concept applied to me when I was ten and wasn’t able to move to Montana, but because I didn’t move to Montana I found the sport of bodyboarding. I grew to love bodyboarding much more then skiing and thus things turned out for the best. I believe this concept is going to apply to me as a freshman in college as not everything is going to go exactly the way I want it to go. This concept is also going to apply to the graduating class of Stanford as they may struggle finding they’re places in the workforce as new college graduates. However, in all these situations I believe that Jobs’ message and purpose in speech remains the same and Jobs would tell both me and the college graduates to persevere through difficulty and that everything happens for a reason.
Jennings Franciskovic
ReplyDeleteProf. Gusman
14 September 2013
Jobs
Steve Jobs was the co-founder and CEO of Apple. He is known as one of the most innovating and brilliant people for the technological world. In 2005, Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford University’s graduation. In front of future Doctors, lawyers, and inventors, Jobs spoke about his life and three events that shaped it with the first being when he dropped out of college. Jobs said that that was one of the best decisions of his life as it allowed him to drop in on classes that purely interested him and would actually shape his future. One of these classes was a calligraphy class where he would learn about perfect fonts, which would later on be developed into the perfect fonts that the first Macintosh computer used. The second event he spoke of was when he was fired from the company that he created. This was so refreshing for him. He said that it allowed him to become a beginner again and to be able to enter into time of learning and creativity all over again. It allowed him to think through things that he would not have thought about before and resulted in him starting Pixar and Next. The last event that he spoke of was when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; one that is incurable. This allowed him to face death and realize that we should all be living everyday as if it were our last.
As a college freshman, the quote about dots means a lot to me. It means that no matter what, you need to trust that everything is going to end up how it is supposed to be. So, as a freshman, we are beginning the start of our lives. We hare going to have so many ups and downs, and this quote reminds us that just because one bad thing happens, it doesn’t mean that another good dot isn’t going to come around the corner. There is a saying that when one door closes another door opens. This is what this quote means. Don’t pay too much attention on the future. Instead, worry about what you have learned from to past to make a better future.
Jobs believe hat our choices shouldn’t be being made based on what we think we are supposed to do. We should be living as if we only have one day left, so we should try and make the most of it. He talked about how he would look in the mirror each day and ask himself if what he was doing was what he would want to being doing on the day he died. If the answer was no too many times, something had to change. I believe that we should take that as Jobs saying to take risks and try and live a full life. Everything has opportunity.
In my life, I have a goal to play professional volleyball in the European league over seas. I can take Jobs’ advice and to do nothing but my best and see how things work out. Everything is going to lie out as it is supposed to be so I shouldn’t have anything to worry about. If Jobs was talking to our freshman class, I think he would make more of a point about the being a beginning. We are all at a time in our lives were we are being shaped and molded. We have so many opportunities to be creative and to make something of our lives. I think that Jobs would therefore want to emphasize on that.
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ReplyDeleteMichael Echavia
ReplyDeleteProfessor Gusman
14 September 2013
English 100
The commencement speech that Steve Jobs gave in front of Stanford’s graduating class of 2005 was both inspiring and informative. Steve Jobs was arguable the greatest innovator and businessman in the past one hundred years. With his background being so successful, the speech was that much more special and meaningful. He told three stories about his life but one part really stuck with me after watching the speech.
“You cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards.” This part of the speech seemed so true to my life. Going into just my first year of college at UH Manoa I have no idea what I want to pursue as a career later in life. I came to the University of Hawaii to play baseball and to obtain a degree that I can use in the future to get a job. I don’t have a set plan for what I want to do with my life and often I worry about not being happy later in life.
Baseball has been a major part in my life for the past ten years or so. It has led me in so many directions and allowed me to meet so many different people. I would never have thought that baseball would lead me to the University of Hawaii. Looking back on it, all the dots seem to connect making my life the way it is today, all making so much sense.
Jobs talked about how the classes you take now might not make sense, but they will all work out and make perfect sense in the end, looking back on life. With Jobs saying that, it is a nice reassurance that the nervousness about the future is completely normal. “You must trust the dots… believing that they will connect… even if they lead you off the well-worn path.” I think that Jobs means to go with the flow and go wherever the wind blows you.
Many people change interests in their life and get stuck doing jobs that they do not enjoy. “Do what you love.” Jobs repeats these words over and over again to instill it into the audience’s brains. I agree with Jobs in doing what you love, and loving what you do. My dad always tells me to find something that I love to do, and I wont have to consider it working.
Jobs talked about getting diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. The story of his battle with pancreatic cancer took Jobs off his god-like pedestal and proved that he was human too. He went through a lot of diversity in his life like getting fired from the company that he created and dropping out of college. Steve Jobs is an inspiration to me and many others around the world. Jobs has left his mark on the world and impacted millions of people’s lives. Although I do not know what I will be doing twenty years from now, hopefully it will all make sense looking back.
Mariel Moore
ReplyDeleteProfessor Gusman
14 September 2013
English 100
During Stanford University’s 2005 graduation students watched in admiration as Steve Jobs delivered a once in a lifetime commencement speech. His speech covered his achievements as well as his struggles. He presented his life in a way everyone could relate to.
The commencement speech Steve Jobs gave covered almost his entire life. It began with the story of his adoption. Steve’s uneducated biological mother did everything in her power to make sure Steve would go to college. Neither of Steve’s adopted parents finished college but they promised his birth mom Steve would go to college. Steve did in fact attend college after he graduated from high school. However after one semester he dropped out and began to take the few classes that interested him. His favorite class was calligraphy, which ended up as a major part of his first business.
When he was twenty Steve started working on his first Apple computer. For several years he developed his product and began the foundation for his new company. Then when Steve was 30 Apple hit the market. From the outside everything seemed perfect, but this was not true. In the process of creating his company Steve hired someone to help him run the new business. This came back to haunt him when the same man fired him a few years later. Steve worked 10 years on this company only to be let go as soon as it started. Steve believed this was the best time of his life. He fell in love with a girl whom later became his wife, and he felt free to create again. During this time he began two other major companies by the names of Next and Pixar. Lucky for Steve, Apple bought next and Steve worked with the Apple again. Years after his return to apple Steve faced his biggest obstacle yet. He was diagnosed with pancreas cancer and told to say his last goodbyes. After further examination doctors found Steve had a rare type of cancer. His cancer was curable with surgery. Although doctors cured Steve’s cancer he faced something most other have not – death.
The speech Steve Jobs gave further explains his genius. The point of his speech is to inspire the young graduates by connecting with their struggles. This is a seemingly impossible task for a man of his greatness. However, he accomplished this by understanding his audience. His used many events in his life to humanize himself. His tales of adoption and lower class upbringing allow the audience to relate to his experiences, while the story of his withdrawal from collage deglamorizes his image. After he connects with his audience inspires them by highlighting his struggles and how he overcame them. He completes his speech with one quotes which he repeats multiple times “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”
Through this speech I became inspired by many things Steve said. The quote "you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards. You must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path" is one Steve took from experience. It is directed toward any person on an unknown journey. As a student whom recently entered college, I am still looking for what my path in life is. However, from Steve’s point of view I am wrong for doing so. Steve’s message comes with an introverted way of thinking. Rather than finding your passion he thinks your passion should find you. Why enter a specific major so early? According to Steve my journey starts with doing what I enjoy. This all goes back to the saying “If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.” Although I cannot see the future I can look at the past. I can see how my love for art and clothing lead me to my decision to be a fashion major. However, I feel there are many more experiences to have. I do not want to restrict my options. Maybe if try something new one day I will look back and see how that one decision developed a whole new life for me.
As college freshman, many of us have not determined what we want to do with our lives. Steve Jobs shared his story of uncertainty and discovery with the Stanford graduating class. His message however, can be shared with everyone and anyone. Steve’s advice is to “find what you love” and to “follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path”. It has been said that college students change majors often. They find that they disliked the major that they chose and continue to seek what interests them. As a college freshman, we are relatively young and have fewer commitments. This allows us to experiment and take risks that other are unable to do. Steve wants others to explore and find what we love to do because if you love something, you would not mind being around it. You would be driven to do what you love despite your circumstances. When Steve lost his position as CEO, he still retained his love for technology and aesthetics. Despite selecting biology as my major, I admit that I have some doubts about pursuing a career in the medical field. I am not sure that it would be something that I would “love”. Money is the major motivator and helping others is a bonus. I know that money should not be why you would choose a career, but I’m hoping that would not be my case. I can see myself working in the medical field, but I am not sure if there are better opportunities out there for me.
ReplyDeleteDespite my doubt, I can hope to believe in something Steve said. He tells us to believe in something and I am believing that everything will turn our right and that the dots will connect.
Winnie-Mile Markowitz
ReplyDeleteENG 100
Gusman
15 September, 2013
"You cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards." "You must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path.”
Although Job’s target audience was directed towards Stanford graduates, any person in any walk of live can also relate to his advice. This advice can be relevant to me(a college freshman), a college graduate and even a grandma. To a college freshman like me, the quote means to do what I am passionate about --find my dots. A college graduate may interpret the advise differently; that they should continue to do the things they like, even if it may be different. The advice can also remind an older person to reflect on their past; and realize that some mistakes they thought they made, actually helped them.
I personally think that it is a bit odd for Steve Jobs to speak to college graduates because he himself did not graduate from college. The stories he told started to discourage me because it makes me think: if Steve Jobs can be successful without college then I can too. As I pondered about my life choices he later shares how he first started apple. His experience made me realize that hard work is inescapable. Jobs invested his own time and money for ten years before Apple even started to take off. Steve Jobs worked very hard with uncertainty, with a college degree I may not be able to earn the Job I want, but a can obtain something similar.
Before I saw the speech I saw Steve Jobs: Apple CEO, computer engineer, billionaire. After the stories he told, I was able to see a different side to the billionaire; Steve Jobs: college dropout, fired from his own company, cancer survivor. It is also a relief that no matter how rich you are, you cannot escape illness or death. I also respect Steve Jobs knowing that he had to endure these constant hardships. It makes the problems I have and stress over seem very small and unimportant. These seemingly unimportant tasks are what Jobs says may become our “dots”. Most of the adversity he spoke about helped him to be successful.
The most important part I learned from Steve Jobs's speech was the necessity to cater to your own wants. Although your current wants may not seem relevant to your past wants; in the end all the dots will eventually connect I learned that I must do whatever will make me happy. For example I want to serve an LDS mission so I am doing the necessary tasks to eventually obtain the goal. That goal may obstruct my ability to graduate college in four years but I am willing to take the risk for something I really want to do.
Since elementary school, teachers and parents have drilled into us the concept of the future – what we want to be and where we want to go with our lives. We as collegiate students are required to choose one path, one route, to become something we don’t necessarily know anything about. During Steve Job’s commencement speech he gives us his concept of “connecting the dots”. I believe that the dots are a representation of the path we take in our lives. He encourages us to forget about what we have been told about our future and create it one step at a time. Only then are we able to combine our past experiences, learn from the good and the bad, and do what we love for the rest of our lives. This concept really speaks to me especially because I am not the best decision maker. Although I am going into the field of psychology, my plans for myself are hazy and unknown. I am not particularly excellent in any specific subject areas like math, English, or science unlike many of my friends. I have struggled immensely to keep up with my more than average peers and have experienced many triumphs and failures. After hearing this speech, I feel more confident about my future because I am going to take the path I want. As a college freshmen, I will try harder to concentrate more on what I love rather than pretending to be something I am not. There will be times when things may not always go as planned, and when they don’t, the best thing to do is to use it to your advantage and learn from your mistakes.
ReplyDeleteWhether Steve Job’s was speaking to a graduating class at Stanford or to freshmen at UH Manoa, anyone can learn from his words of wisdom. Even people who already believe they know what they want for their lives can learn to stop looking too hard into the future and focus on what they have done and what they are doing. If this speech was given to an entering class in UH Manoa, I believe that it would be more focused on how they will use the next so many years to learn about what they want. Many times, people go to college and get a degree focused on what kind of money their future jobs will make. And while making money is important, these people sometimes find that what they thought they wanted doesn’t satisfy their desires or dreams. Steve Job’s would be encouraging freshmen to use their college savings on creating an exciting life for themselves rather than one they will hate.
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ReplyDeleteDuring his commencement speech, Steve Jobs states, "you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards." I think he is saying that people can plan for the future but not everyone knows exactly what will happen. You can look back and learn from your mistakes; you can't know what mistakes you will make in the future. As a college freshman, I have a plan on what I want for my future and I have set goals for myself. At this moment my mind is set on pursuing a career as a Certified Public Accountant but one day I might wake up and change my mind. I don't know for sure that my plans will work out the way I planned. According to Steve Jobs I can really only hope that everything will work out for me in the future. Just because one bad thing happens to me, it doesn't mean the something very good won't happen in the near future. After listening to the speech by Steve Jobs it makes me realize that I can't perfectly plan my future but I can be hopeful that everything I have planned will happen.
ReplyDeleteSteve Jobs had a few major adversities in his life but he managed to get past them. When he got fired from Apple he just thought of it as started all over and doing what he loved. He may have been disappointed at the beginning but he was optimistic about what happened and everything worked out for him. This is the perfect example about hoping that all the dots will connect in the future. Listening to Steve Jobs speech has taught me that I need to be optimistic, no matter what happens. In the speech he also talks about doing what you love. I agree with this statement a lot because I don't want to be one of those people who wake up in the morning and dread going to work. Steve Jobs did what he loved and not what he was told he had to do. His biological mother had planned for him to go to college since the day he was born but he did not do that. This helps me to realize that I should also do what I want to do and not what people think I should do.
Raven Bellamy
ReplyDelete14 September 2013
ENG 100
Steve Jobs Commencement Speech Response
Throughout most of my time in primary, middle and secondary school, I swore I would grow up to become some sort of scientist, just like my mother. I had practically grown up in the toxicology lab my mother worked in and I figured that her passion for science would somehow pass on to me. But as I started to analyze my personal strengths, I realized that while I think science is fascinating and intriguing, I was not nearly as passionate about it as I was history and politics. A few months after I participated in an abroad program and took a global business class at Cambridge University, I decided that I really did not care for science as much as I thought I did, and that I was more interested in political affairs on a global scale. As a brand new college freshman, I whole-heartedly agree that you must make a path for yourself by doing what you love most and that "you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards" (Steve Jobs).
In the video, Steve Jobs was trying to convince his that because they are brand new intellectuals fresh out of college, they should mold their own path, do what they love to and only that. Jobs wanted his audience to live each day like it was their last and to never be pressured to live the way other people wanted them to live. Jobs’s entire life is a perfect analogy for this, as his biological mother expected him to graduate from college. Instead of abiding by his mothers expectations, Jobs forged his own path by dropping out of college, and only pursuing his own interests. In his speech, Jobs recalls taking a calligraphy class just because he thought it was interesting. In hindsight, Jobs realizes that if he had not taken that calligraphy class, Macintosh computers would most likely not have had stylized fonts and evenly spaced words and characters. In hindsight, Jobs understands that at the time he could not see the significant but now that far in the past he “can connect the dots looking backwards” (Steve Jobs).
Although Steve Job’s speech was aimed at Stanford’s graduating class of 2005, the speeches meaning is still completely relevant to me as a freshman at University of Hawaii Manoa. The graduates were just beginning their lives with many career options to choose from, just as I am beginning college with many class options to choose. While I am choosing my college career path, Jobs wants me to keep in mind my own personal interests, passions and strengths and not to be swayed by Dogma. I may not know what the future has in store for me right now, but if I follow my heart and live each day as it were my last, later on I will be able to look back on my life and connect the dots favorably.
Brianna Cui
ReplyDeleteEng 100
Gusman
16 September 2013
Connecting your path
When we think of Steve Jobs we think of success, money, and business. We don’t think of hardship, surprise and struggle. As Steve Jobs delivered his commencement speech to a graduating class at Harvard, we uncovered the truth behind his seemingly perfect life. Steve Jobs not only talked about the present, but he reflected on his past and pondered his future, remarking that “you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards.” As a freshman in college, we are constantly concerned with our path in life. We take the classes we need, get the grades we need and do the activities required. Every step we take is calculated in an effort to project us towards our future. Steve Jobs works to remind us that we will never truly know where life takes us. No matter how much you plan, the path will always take an unexpected turn. At one point in Steve Jobs’ life, he took a calligraphy class. The class was not required and it held little meaning to him but he took it because it was interesting and different. Looking back at that point in his life, that class was a crucial part of his future but he didn’t know that at the time.
I am a pre-nursing major which requires a lot of time and effort on my behalf. I often forget to take time to do the things I enjoy. Following Steve Jobs advice, I want to take classes that interest me. They may not directly relate to my major, but I want to take advantage of all the opportunities presented to me. I love Hawaiian culture so I want to take classes surrounding that concept. I also love the outdoors so I want to take the time to go to the beach or explore a new hike. If I focus too much on my work and my potential career, I feel like I’ll miss out on new and exciting things in life. It’s completely okay to have goals and a plan but I don’t want to allow that to consume my life. Steve Jobs advice truly speaks to me, “you must trust the dots....believing that they will connect...even if they lead you off the well-worn path.”
Steve Jobs delivered his speech to a graduating class at Stanford but the freshman at UH Manoa could learn a thing or two from his advice. The graduating class took his advice as they ventured off into the “real world”. Every graduate left with a degree in hand and their sights set on a career. Steve Jobs advice reminded them to continue with what they love. If you despise your job, try something new. If life throws an obstacle at you, look for different ways to overcome it. Though the freshman class at UH is just beginning, the advice is still essentially the same. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t feel like you have to stick to a straight and narrow path. It’s the little turns and curves that bring the greatest surprises.
After watching Steve Jobs' graduation speech, although I am only a freshman in college, he enlightened my way of thinking about every mistake or downfall I've had in my life. Jobs' fell out at Apple, and I had a fallout in high school. During my 2nd semester of junior year my dad got sick and my grades completely tanked. Because of my low GPA, I was not able to participate in volleyball my senior year. I thought I wasn't going to get into college; my life was so stressful and the thought of not receiving an offer from my dream school, USC, crushed my dreams. Jobs' says he was thankful for his failure because he looked at it as a fresh start. A brand new him, and that's exactly how I view my life. I am now thankful that I didn't get into USC. I have a brand new start to a beautiful future right here in Hawaii, playing sand volleyball and I'm proud to be a Sand Wahine.
ReplyDeleteEvery action has a reaction, and every thing happens for a reason. Having trust is essential in following Jobs' advice. He shed his reputation of a prestigious business man and showed he was relatable to every one in the audience. He related to me. His passion and optimism reminded me of my character. I follow my dreams and believe in accomplishing goals. I believe the highest success is obtainable for anyone who is passionate enough to make it happen, and that's exactly what Jobs' did, and thats exactly what I intend to do. I believe Jobs' would admire my confidence and tell me to pursue whatever I love because it's not about the destination it's about the journey. That's the beauty about life. I have the ability to change my future by changing my actions. There is no predetermined course for life because it comes however you create it. The best advice Jobs' gave me was that failure is ok. Failure is only a new start to a different chapter in life. It's another two dots being connected to only connect to more by reflecting on past actions and memories. I can't stand in place and watch life move on without me. I must always connect my dots and believe within those lines success and love will happen.
In different parts of his speech it reached out to different age groups, but the same advice can relate to myself, an incoming freshman student, as well as a graduate of Stanford. I would take his advice and apply it to my college life and working up to the "real world," but those college graduates are in position to apply his advice to the work force. Everything is relative; I was just fortunate enough to an earlier start with Jobs' insight.
Jacob Aki
ReplyDelete“I Ka Wā Ma Mua, I Ka Wā Ma Hope”
“The future is in the past”
As I read the quote, "you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards,” I cannot help but think of that ‘Ōlelo No‘eau that I quoted above. The Commencement Speech that Steve Jobs gave to the Stanford Graduating class has stirred a lot of emotion and deep thoughts. As I reflect on my life now, I realize that I am currently in a new phase of my life. I no longer have my parents caring for me every hour of the day; nor do I have anyone forcing me to do anything. However, I have found inspiration from my kūpuna (ancestors). As Steve Jobs quotes, “"you cannot connect the dots looking forwards, you can only connect them looking backwards." We as humans are always looking towards the future; we are constantly wanting to get better. Steve Jobs is trying to stress that we have to look to our past and learn from it. In order to better our selves as human beings, we have to look to our past and find ways to improve.
As a college freshmen, his words has great meaning to me. I’m embarking on a new journey in my life and I’m constantly looking at ways to improve my self as an individual. However, sometimes I am so focused on the present that I sometimes forget about the past. As a Kanaka Hawai‘i (Hawaiian) I come from a history of success. Yet, we as contemporary Hawaiians are so focused on the present that we ignore the history we come from. We have to look and learn from the past, because in order to pave a bright future, we have to take the success and failures of the past, and use it in the future as a learning experience. I need to look and reflect on my life thus far, in order to achieve the future that I want to accomplish.
I feel that Jobs would want me as an individual to do something that I have a passion for. He would want me to take up a study in an area that I absolutely love. He turned his love and passion into something that would not only benefit him, but something that would benefit others around him. I want to be able to use my passion for the Hawaiian culture to inspire other young native Hawaiians to be proud of who they are and where they come from. I want to use my education to better the communities that had given me so much. I feel that Jobs would want me to pursue my passion for the betterment of our society. If there are more people doing the things they love for a purpose bigger than themselves, then I feel that our society would be able to achieve that bright future that we all envision.
I feel that Jobs audience has no change going from a graduating class at Stanford to an English class at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. The reason for my way of thinking is because his message can be related to all walks of life. His overall message can be interpreted in different ways but the emotions that we all draw are the same. I feel that his overall message was to achieve your passion no matter what the circumstance is. Weather you are in college or in your late 60ʻs; it is never too late to find your passion. We have to “stay hungry” and chase our dreams because it is only when we do this, that our dreams can finally become a reality.