Steve Jobs: College Material?

Steve Jobs is an unusually forward individual. His self-assuredness sometimes seems to come off as cockiness or even narcissism...but there's no doubt that the man isn't ashamed of anything he says!

One of his comments at his famous commencement speech at Stanford University that I found a bit awkward was his remark he made about how he dropped out of college because he "didn't see the value in it." How ironic that a college dropout (though one of the most successful men in America notwithstanding) is speaking at the commencement of one of America's most famous universities! Didn't anyone check this guy's credentials?

                                                              "What? I'm just that awesome."

Through this comment, though, Jobs is just saying that college wasn't for him. His adopted parents - who promised his biological mother that he would go to college - technically kept their promise, but it seems like Jobs himself wasn't really into it anyway, despite this promise and the societal pressure around him. This shows his totally individualistic approach toward his own life, a message he preaches to the listeners at Stanford. Don't get "caught up in anyone else's dogma," he says. Though you may be pressed into thinking that a certain way of living is right, you should always and only do what you think is best. 

What I got out of this is that one should always pursue their passions to their fullest extent, and if their interests change, follow the new passions. Living by this strict doctrine of The Self, Steve Jobs was fortunate in his life to do what he loved and love what he did. His message to "stay hungry, stay foolish" encourages others to do the same.