6. steve jobs said: “we think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”
reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. and most tv watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. so turn your tv off and save some brain cells. but be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. or auto race games, or role-playing games.
7. steve jobs said: “i’m the only person i know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. it’s very character-building.”
don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. there is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. they viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. never making a mistake means never living life to the full.
8. steve jobs said: “i would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with socrates.”
over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. and socrates stands with leonardo da vinci, nicholas copernicus, charles darwin and albert einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. but he came first. cicero said of socrates that, “he called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” so use socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. it’s not about socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.
9. steve jobs said: “we’re here to put a dent in the universe. otherwise why else even be here?”
did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? and did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? we were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. this gift is, in fact, our purpose. and you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. no boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. just find that unique purpose.
10. steve jobs said: “your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. they somehow already know what you truly want to become. everything else is secondary.”