By now, we've seen all the tributes, epitaphs, and all the other what-not about Apple's resident visionary, Steve Jobs. We know about the products he spearheaded into production: the iPod, iPad, all of the MacIntosh permutations, and iTunes, among many others. His influence affected industries well beyond that of his native PC industry - (iTunes to the music industry, Pixar to the film industry, among others).
This post in Democratic Underground generated a bit of controversy in that community, because it dared to highlight the darker side of Mr. Jobs, especially so recently after his death while he is being so lionized. He was much more than a taskmaster - quite frankly, he could apparently be quite the a-hole around the Cupertino campus. Nobody ever said that to get to the top required being a nice person - on the contrary, his alleged "asshattedness" is more likely the rule than the exception in the upper escelons of Corporate America. Personal grace is often set aside in the interest of the corporate prime directive of maximizing shareholder value.
I don't think people realize what a disservice it is to put people on pedestals without recognizing their foibles and frailties, as well. Above all, rainmakers like Steve Jobs are human beings - first, and foremost. When we figuratively carve hall-of-fame statues in honor of these people without recognizing their humanity, we not only do them, their memories, and their families a disservice, we do ourselves a disservice. We lose sight of the fact that it was not a god that created the Apple II, or the Mac, or the iPad - it was a human being. A highly gifted, driven human being, for sure, but one with the same challenges and quandries as the rest of us.
The best way we can pay tribute to the memory of Steve Jobs is to use his creations for constructive purposes. Use them to create, to explore, to further yourself and your fellow members of humanity and life on this planet in general.
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