[FairfieldLife] Re: Reality Distortion Field: from Steven Jobs by Walter Isaacson
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj wrote: > > > > > "In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince > > > anyone of practically anything. It wears off when he's > > > not around, but it makes it hard to have realistic > > > schedules." > > > > Is there anyone else this reminds you of? Class...? > > :-) > > Absolutely. Interestingly enough, however, who it > reminded me of most -- the first person who popped > into my mind -- was Captain Tightpants from Firefly. > > Here's a fun video of 32 best quotes from Firefly and > Serenity, as selected by SCI FI WIRE, whatever that is. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uMAKtXlXf4 > > Unfortunately they didn't select my favorite Mal quote, > which relates directly to the Jobs story: > > "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." > Did you edit out the best part? "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty. All others go twiqust thy nethers"
[FairfieldLife] Re: Reality Distortion Field: from Steven Jobs by Walter Isaacson
> > > "In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince > > > anyone of practically anything. It wears off when he's > > > not around, but it makes it hard to have realistic > > > schedules." > > > > Is there anyone else this reminds you of? > > turquoiseb: > Absolutely. Interestingly enough, however, who it > reminded me of most -- the first person who popped > into my mind ... > Rama can convince anyone of practically anything.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Reality Distortion Field: from Steven Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Steve Jobs was all too human. He might have accomplished many things while here on earth. But he died. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, maskedzebra wrote: > > When Andy Hertzfeld joined the Macintosh team, he got a briefing from Bud > Tribble, the other software designer, about the huge amount of work that > still needed to be done. Jobs wanted it finished by January 1982, less than a > year away. "That's crazy," Hertzfeld said. "There is no way." Tribble said > that Jobs would not accept any contrary facts. "The best way to describe the > situation is a term from *Star Trek*," Tribble explained. "Steve has a > reality distortion field." When Hertzfeld looked puzzled, Tribble elaborated. > "In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince anyone of practically > anything. It wears off when he's not around, but it makes it hard to have > realistic schedules." > > Tribble recalled that he adopted the phrase from the "Menagerie" episodes of > *Star Trek*, "in which the aliens create their own new world through sheer > mental force." He meant the phrase to be a compliment as well as a caution: > "It was dangerous to get caught in Steve's distortion field, but it was what > led him to actually be able to change reality." > > At first Hertzfeld thought that Tribble was exaggerating, but after two weeks > of working with Jobs, he became a keen observer of the phenomenon. "The > reality distortion field was a confounding melange of a charismatic > rhetorical style, indomitable will, and eagerness to bend any fact to fit the > purpose at hand," he said. > > There was little that could shield you from the force, Hertzfeld discovered. > "Amazingly, the reality distortion field seemed to be effective even if you > were acutely aware of it. We would often discuss potential techniques for > grounding it, but after a while most of us gave up, accepting it as a force > of nature." After Jobs decreed that the soda in the office refrigerator be > replaced by Odwalla organic orange and carrot juices, someone on the team had > T-shirts made. "Reality Distortion Field," they said on the front, and on the > back, "It's in the juice!" > > To some people, calling it a reality distortion field was just a clever way > to say that Jobs tended to lie. But is was in fact a more complex form of > dissembling. He would assert somethingbe it a fact about world history or a > recounting of who suggested an idea at a meetingwithout even considering the > truth. It came from willfully defying reality, not only to others but to > himself. "He can deceive himself," said Bill Atkinson. "It allowed him to con > people into believing his vision, because he has personally embraced and > internalized it." > > A lot of people distort reality, of course. When Jobs did so, it was often a > tactic for accomplishing something. Wozniak, who was as congenitally honest > as Jobs was tactical, marveled at how effective it could be. "His reality > distortion is when he has an illogical vision of the future, such as telling > me that I could design the Breakout game in just a few days. You realize that > it can't be true, but he somehow makes it true." > > When members of the Mac team got ensnared in his reality distortion field, > they were almost hypnotized. "He reminded me of Rasputin," said Debi Coleman. > "He laser=beamed on you and didn't blink. It didn't matter if he was serving > purple Kool-Aid. You drank it." But like Wozniak, she believed that the > reality distortion field was empowering: It enabled Jobs to inspire his team > to change the course of computer history with a fraction of the resources of > Xerox or IBM. "It was a self-fulfilling distortion," she claimed. "You did > the impossible because you didn't realize it was impossible." > > At the root of the reality distortion was Job's belief that the rules didn't > apply to him. He had some evidence for this; in his childhood, he had often > been able to bend reality to his desires. Rebelliousness and willfulness were > engrained in his character. He had the sense that he was special, a chosen > one, an enlightened one. "He thinks there are a few people who are > specialpeople like Einstein and Gandhi and the gurus he met in Indiaand > he's one of them," said Hertzfeld. "He told Christann this [his girfriend at > the time]. Once he even hinted to me that he was enlightened." >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Reality Distortion Field: from Steven Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Good evening, Mr Wright. Glad you came to join us. We give you a hearty welcome here. And I know I speak for almost everyone. I did not expect such acute and thorough answers to the questions I posed to you. Is there not a warrant out for youa moral one at least? Will Curtis allow you to play here unsupervised? I aim to wrest him away from you, and to force him to tell you the truth which only he can say. I already miss him. But at least I know, when you post this weekGod's in heaven and all's right with the worldyou are aloneand therefore I can say anything I want. No fear of Curtis coming after me on your behalf. Still reading this? That Steve Jobs quote; you want to know why I put it in here? Just to see whether my having posted it would render it spoiled in some way for you. But you read it, dear Barry; and I am proud of you. Still reading? Good. I only wish you a beautiful day there in Amsterdam. Have you put the screws the the Californian commerce guy yet? You warned him; you threatened him; and he has not heeded you. So I look forward to the promised consequences of his insolence and calumny. You skate there in the winter? --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj wrote: > > > > > "In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince > > > anyone of practically anything. It wears off when he's > > > not around, but it makes it hard to have realistic > > > schedules." > > > > Is there anyone else this reminds you of? Class...? > > :-) > > Absolutely. Interestingly enough, however, who it > reminded me of most -- the first person who popped > into my mind -- was Captain Tightpants from Firefly. > > Here's a fun video of 32 best quotes from Firefly and > Serenity, as selected by SCI FI WIRE, whatever that is. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uMAKtXlXf4 > > Unfortunately they didn't select my favorite Mal quote, > which relates directly to the Jobs story: > > "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Reality Distortion Field: from Steven Jobs by Walter Isaacson
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj wrote: > > > "In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince > > anyone of practically anything. It wears off when he's > > not around, but it makes it hard to have realistic > > schedules." > > Is there anyone else this reminds you of? Class...? > :-) Absolutely. Interestingly enough, however, who it reminded me of most -- the first person who popped into my mind -- was Captain Tightpants from Firefly. Here's a fun video of 32 best quotes from Firefly and Serenity, as selected by SCI FI WIRE, whatever that is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uMAKtXlXf4 Unfortunately they didn't select my favorite Mal quote, which relates directly to the Jobs story: "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
