Jobs' reality distortion field

Steve Jobs Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was a tireless technology visionary and brilliant innovator. Jobs' innovation has had a profound impact on many industries. Former US President Barack Obama said of him, "Courageous enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. He made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and interesting".

...brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. He made the information revolution not only accessible but intuitive and fun."

When it comes to Steve Jobs, there are so many things to talk about, and the reality distortion field he brings is an unavoidable label. Today we talk about the "reality distortion field" on Steve Jobs.

Macintosh software engineer Bud Tribble recalled that the term "Reality Distortion Field" was taken from the "Menagerie" in the "Star Trek" TV series, which refers to the use of extreme spiritual power by aliens. Build their new world. Jobs' reality-bending field enables the impossible to happen in the direction he wants, even against reality. Andy, an engineer on the Macintosh team at the time, put it this way: "The reality distortion field is a mixture of several factors, including a charismatic style of phrasing, an indomitable will, and a fervent desire to bend reality to its own will."

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In September 1980, Jobs was sidelined from Project Lisa, the computer project named after Jobs' daughter. Jobs desperately needed to find a new project to put his stamp on. Jobs set his sights on a project aimed at making a usable computer at the lowest cost, the Macintosh, which would later become the Mac line. Jobs took over the leadership of the project after a heated conflict with the former project leader. Jobs publicly made a bet with John, "We're going to make a cheaper and better computer than the Lisa, and we'll get to the Lisa before the computer." In a year's time, that is, in January 1982, the project was completed. Bud Tribble tells a stunned Andy that this is Jobs' reality distortion field. In his presence, reality is malleable. Jobs could convince anyone, basically anything. The magic faded away when Jobs wasn't there. So this makes it very difficult to do a reasonable plan.

"It's a dangerous thing to be caught in Steve's twisting force field, but it's the force field that allows him to actually change reality."

Herzfeld found that no one can escape the effects of this force. "Even if you are acutely aware of the reality distortion field, it can still work on you, and we often discuss whether there is a way to block this field, but After a while, most people give up and just think of it as a force of nature."

Exposed to Jobs' reality-distorting field, his employees were hypnotized. Debi Coleman says, "He doesn't blink, he's staring straight at you, even if he's serving you a glass of poisoned wine. You drink it." Like Apple's Wozniak, she believes in reality-bending The field gave Jobs the energy to inspire his team to change the course of the entire computing industry with a fraction of what IBM or Xerox put in at the time. "It's a self-fulfilling reality distortion. You achieve an impossible task because you didn't know it was impossible." The reality distortion field is rooted in Jobs' deep-seated, unshakable belief that the world Neither of the rules apply to him, or he sees the future.

In January 1984, the historically famous Mac computer was released, and it was also famous for the classic Super Bowl commercial for breaking the old order with a hammer.

On January 24, 1984, Apple will introduce the Macintosh computer. And you'll find out why 1984 won't be like "1984".

To understand this ad, you may need to read the book "1984" by Orville.

This computer first introduced a graphical interface, a mouse, and a built-in word processing system, which basically laid the foundation for the modern computer. Despite its pricey price tag of around $2,495 ($6,215 in 2020), sales have reached 70,000 units three months after its release.

How to get a reality distortion field

Jobs was adopted as a child, and his adoptive father, Paul, did not hide the fact that he was adopted. When schoolmates laughed at his adoption, Jobs, then 6 or 7, ran home crying. Paul looked into his eyes and told him solemnly, "You are specially selected by us." Unlike others, specially selected, these concepts have been injected into his heart since he was a child. His adoption experience shaped his life. He has a feeling of being abandoned at times and at the same time feeling special. As a child, he was often able to bend reality to his desires. For example, because he was bullied at school, his parents made the effort to change him to the best school. When choosing a university, he insisted on his own idea and went to a school with equal emphasis on art and industry, Reed College, which is one of the most expensive schools. Although Jobs dropped out after only less than two years of schooling. It was at this school that Jobs was exposed to Zen and met his once idolized friend RoBert Friedland.

The first meeting between Jobs and Friedland was also wonderful. Jobs was going to sell his typewriter and go to the student dormitory to find the person who made the offer. When he arrived, Friedland, an undergraduate four years his senior, was sleeping with his girlfriend. Jobs was about to leave when the student invited him to sit down and wait for them to finish. Jobs thought, this person is too cool, so began a relationship with Friedland. Jobs liked his temperament, so he spent a lot of time with him. For several years, Jobs regarded Friedland as a "guru" and was deeply influenced by him.

According to Kottke, Jobs' friend at the time, Jobs' personal traits, some of which he even carried throughout his career, were learned from Friedland. From Friedland, Jobs learned about the reality distortion field and how to make himself the center of attention. Jobs' transformation from a shy, mischievous man to an outgoing, open-minded, grasping, and well-versed marketing man was largely associated with Friedland.

Harsh and sharp: making strong teammates

Another manifestation of Jobs' reality-distorting field is his black-and-white binary perspective. In his opinion, people are either saints or shit. Their work is either "the best" or "shit-like". And these binary assessments can also change. An idea that Jobs thought was stupid, and a week later, if he really liked the idea, he would go to the person who suggested it and present it as if he had come up with it himself.

Atkinson told his team that Jobs' words could not be taken literally and needed to be translated. "We interpret 'this is shit' as a question, which really means, 'Tell me, why is this the best way?'"

There is a story that Jobs was in the cubicle again that day and said to an engineer at Atkinson that he used to say, "This is shit". The engineer said, no, it's not shit. And successfully persuaded Jobs to tell him the compromise he had made. But the continuation of the story is very interesting. The engineer found a better way to implement the feature that Jobs had previously accused. "It's because Steve challenged him that he found a better way," Atkinson said. "That means you can argue with him, but you should also listen carefully to what he has to say, because he usually is correct."

Jobs' aggressive words and deeds were driven in part by his perfectionism, and he couldn't tolerate those who made reasonable compromises to get a product out in a timely manner or to cut costs. "He doesn't compromise on the product," Atkinson said. "He's a controlling perfectionist. If anyone doesn't want to make the product perfect, he's an idiot."

Jobs' harshness and sharpness also had some benefits, and those who were not destroyed by him became stronger. They can do their jobs better, both out of fear, out of a desire to please him, and out of a sense of the expectation that they carry.

"His behavior makes you emotionally tormented, but if you can get through it, it can have a positive effect," Hoffman said. Sometimes you can fight Jobs and not only survive but thrive. But it didn't always work, Ruskin tried, he succeeded for a short time, but was destroyed afterward. But if you're calm and confident, if Jobs looks at you and thinks you know what you're doing, he respects you. Over the years, both in his private life and his professional life, his inner circle has gathered true powerhouses, not sycophants.

Eventually members of the Mac team learned how to deal with Jobs, especially his black-and-white binary. Despite its controversial style, Jobs' style was surprisingly effective. Out of fear, mixed with a particularly strong desire to please Jobs, these employees exceeded their own expectations of themselves. It should be reminded here that in 1984, when the Mac was launched, Jobs was less than 29 years old.

Brief comment

Jobs' reality distortion field was not a pleasant experience. But people have mixed praise and criticism for Jobs' reality distortion field, and even more praise. The key is that Jobs can predict the entire industry very predictably and lead the development direction of the entire industry. The other iPods, iPhones, and iPads that have been launched since then are very much like the advertisement that broke the old order with a hammer. on the road of rapid development. Jobs was also unique in that he believed in his own judgment and was able to go to great lengths to execute it. His reality distortion field stems from a firm belief in his own heart, and this distortion is not only for his colleagues, but also for himself. Out of a great love for his work, he uses everything possible to achieve a vision he believes in. For those who see work as subsistence, it is easy to see it as a distortion of reality. Those who shared the experience with Jobs and distorted reality together, look back and thank Jobs for fulfilling themselves and pushing themselves beyond the boundaries of what they thought they were.

Jobs later explained that for those who are excellent, there is no need to take care of the baby. You can make them great by expecting them to do great things.

I chatted with my daughter that day, what makes the most money? After she gave her answer, I said that people who can sell things to others make the most money. What is the most profitable thing to sell? Selling to other people's dreams, vision (the word vision really can't express the meaning of this English word) is the most profitable. A Visionary like Steve Jobs not only took out Vision, but also used his reality distortion field to turn the impossible into reality. He won not only money, but also the tribute and memory of too many people. A person tells the future direction, pushes with all our strength, expands the boundaries of our life, and fulfills our people, we will definitely be grateful for life.

It's just that this kind of person can be met, and if you are lucky enough to meet it, it can only be said to be the pity of fate.