Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Cult of Mac, Steve Jobs, Apple, Apple History
London Sunday Times profiles Steve Jobs over Apple objections
The London Sunday Times has done an interesting profile of Steve Jobs that is a good read, even though it may infuriate some and please others.There's nothing really groundbreaking in the piece, but it brings together a lot of material and a bit of pop psychology to try an illuminate the mysterious and mercurial Apple CEO.
Jobs is, in the words of the psychiatrist and scholar of leadership Michael Maccoby, "a productive narcissist". To Jobs, the world is an epiphenomenon, a side effect of the existence of Steve. Or rather, it is a pyramid with Jobs at the top, a few bright people just beneath him, and then the rest of us - the "bozos". The customer bozo is not, to him, always right...
There is also plenty of positive insight:"The very striking thing about productive narcissists, particularly men" [said Maccoby], is that they grow up in families where there is an absent or weak father figure. You can see this in narcissistic presidents like Obama, Clinton, Reagan and Nixon. They struggle with their identity and view of the world. So they tend to come up with a very original view of things and are then driven to find followers.
I swim through Apple newsfeeds like a whale swims through krill," says Elmer-DeWitt. Yet the company continues to surprise and amaze. I don't want Jobs to die because my computers and iPhone are, indeed, "insanely great" compared with the dismal competition but, more importantly, because he is an extraordinary figure. I don't use the word "genius" about businesspeople, but in Steve Jobs's case I'm prepared to make an exception.
It's worth reading all of the profile. Steve Jobs doesn't like being written about, and Apple did all it could to kill the piece.
See what you think, and come back and share your thoughts.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Just Cause said 6:27PM on 8-17-2009
If ever their was a reason to not have parents "they tend to come up with a very original view of things".
This guy makes it sound like "they tend to come up with a very original view of things" is a bad thing, we need original new perspective to solve the problems we face.
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Just Cause said 6:28PM on 8-17-2009
their --> there
Cog said 7:00PM on 8-17-2009
This might mean something if I had any faith, at all, in the British press.
I don't.
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bbeenn1 said 9:58AM on 8-18-2009
Ha! You obviously have not watched the drivel that you call Fox News and CNN!
ipodrulz said 6:55PM on 8-17-2009
I really enjoyed reading that article. I could see why Apple would want to block it... but it still gives really good insight in the life of a genius.
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CaptSaltyJack said 7:39PM on 8-17-2009
I don't see how Apple could block this at all. Seems to me like that would be a violation of the 1st Amendment.
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Bob said 8:05PM on 8-17-2009
Yes. Now if we could get those pesky brits to apply for statehood, then that 1st amendment of the U.S. constitution would apply in this case.
Franz said 7:45PM on 8-17-2009
What a strange rambling BS article! It's all speculation and 3rd hand info. Yikes! What the hell does this contribute?
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Timm said 9:40PM on 8-17-2009
WTF listens to a psychiatrist? They're nothing but scam artists. Their is nothing scientific about their job. All they do is prey on people for profit.
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puhsitch said 7:36AM on 8-18-2009
What are you, a Scientologist or something?
Hickeroar said 8:50PM on 8-17-2009
It's a very insightful, frank, and altogether accurate article. I love apple, but only a blind fanboi would look for a fault there.
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Rudy said 11:09PM on 8-17-2009
great article, dont let your fanboism blind you. apple is great but it sure as hell isnt perfect.
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Trevor J. said 1:06AM on 8-18-2009
"WTF listens to a psychiatrist? They're nothing but scam artists. Their is nothing scientific about their job. All they do is prey on people for profit." So, as a Scientologist, do you know Tom Cruise personally? Because I'd really like to get his autograph.
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cdyson said 1:50AM on 8-18-2009
It's not 'London Sunday Times' - it's 'The Sunday Times'!
The Sunday Times is a national newspaaper.
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Sam said 11:13AM on 8-18-2009
I came here to make that gripe and i'm happy to find someone has done it for me.
mark said 12:20PM on 8-18-2009
'The Times' is 'The London Times' to our friends across the pond...
Callum said 11:00AM on 8-18-2009
damn straight the customer isn't always right... if you deal with the great unwashed in matters of technology / creativity as much as i do you tend to become a little Hitlarian.
turning the story round and aiming the piece at a lack of male role model is a little trite though... i'm interested in who Job's role models are today, there's a story there.
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Edsel said 11:57AM on 8-18-2009
The business world is filled with productive narcissists; this is a good thing. Our political world is filled with unproductive narcissists which costs us dearly.
No one should be surprised by the Times article.
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timepilot84 said 8:00PM on 8-18-2009
I find it amusing that Elmer-DeWitt thinks Jobs is a genius for taking the best products in the field of computing and translating that into a 4% market share. Kudos, genius businessman.
How about taking a third rate product and making it into the far and away world standard? This guy's heads going to explode when he does his Bill Gates profile.
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mrtotes said 7:53AM on 8-19-2009
I genuinely believe Apple (read Steve Jobs) has absolutely no interest in market share above about 5-10%. They are (He is) looking to sell elite premium products to discerning consumers. Porsche aren't worried about competing with Skoda.
Most of the article seems to have come straight from "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs" with a little extra medical info thrown in to make it current. I'd imagine it was the statements about a tablet got most Apple excited as everything else was out there on the interwebs anyhow.