“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently.
They are not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things.
They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as crazy, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc and creator of some of the most sophisticated devices in the world today, was a man who was known for dogmatism in his quest for changing the world of mobile computing. Jobs was a great inventor and someone I later loved so dearly even after his death.
Jobs died at the age of 56 on October 5th 2011, and the event of his death left most of us with serious pain and agony. Asides from the pain and agony, he also left with the human race the revolutionary apple devices that have remained unmatched till the present day. His passing left a dent in the universe like he once talked about, and every one of us is touched by his quote –
“the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do”.
Behind this quote lies the secret to changing the world and leaving a legacy on it So, let’s take a moment to see what it actually means to be crazy enough to change the world, or to think so.
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world
As crazy as you might see it, this statement by Steve Jobs makes me emotional for unclear reasons. People are often perceived differently, marginalized as misfits, or mocked if they believe in any possibility of changing the world through their success. Many people have given up on their chances to rise above the tides of global depression and economic recessions and would project this on everyone else, especially when they have tried once or a few times and yet failed.
You will continually encounter those people who are logical enough to accept that it is impossible to change the world with over 7.8 billion people spanning a 149-million-square-kilometre landmass on the planet. It looks absurd already to think that you can change the world, but this is why Steve Jobs had to say that those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, either singly, collectively or cumulatively, are the ones who actually do.
The magnetism of crazy people
The crazy people who change the world are known for their resilience and faith. They are often labelled as the misfits, the rebels, the crazy ones, and the troublemakers, not necessarily because they do anything wrong but because they believe against all doubts by people around them.
They are not fond of rules and have no respect for the status quo of mediocrity. Job’s crazy people are magnetic. “You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things”, and leave their mark on the universe.
The world needs more crazy people
The world is a large place with countless people on it going about their different vocations on a daily basis. Within this population is a small subset of crazy people who believe they can achieve success despite what life throws at them.
The world does not need more people, even though they will still be coming. What the world needs are more of those crazy people who think they can cause a change and truly believe it.
Jobs added, “you can choose to glorify them or vilify them, but you cannot ignore them”. He wasn’t just talking about the vagrants and vagabonds. Those people can easily be forgotten and are only remembered for the problems they cause in society. He was talking about those who dare to be different from the rest of the world, who believe that they can cause a change in the world.
The world has seen quite some great changes throughout the centuries but it is yet m in need of more. And even though there are surplus of people in the world, only the few crazy ones who are crazy enough to be willing to cause the change.
How to be crazy enough to change the world
Jobs didn’t only express the inner passions that made him a world changer even after his death for but also makes a call for more crazy people who believe they can change the world. It is not simply about claiming to be such a crazy person. It is about your willingness and openness to think differently and do things differently from the majority of the world out there.
The majority is often the winning side but not in this case. When it comes to changing the world, the crazy ones who do are the few ones, and you can be among them.
Sane people who embrace the status quo are afraid of change, they do not see beyond the protocols between beirth and death, life to them is just a routine for everyone, and they are confined to their comfort zones. These people do not cause so much change and the world is already full of them. To be crazy enough to change the world, you need to be open enough to accept that you need to do more to get more.
It is a difficult quest to be such a crazy person
It may already sound stupid to think that you can cause a change in the world with billions of people in. And while it might feel great to be praised for being life everyone else and accepted into the crowd, it can be an awful experience when you are seen as the misfit who thinks “too big”.
You will be mocked or rejected as a misfit, in the sense that Jobs meant it. That is because you believe in the things you are passionate about and to change the world by them. And even though they might choose to villify or ignore you, your change will also touch them if you do not give up. This is the craziness you need to possess to change the world.
That means if you are not an offender, if you have not commited any crime, or if there is no negative reasons for your rejection as a misfit, other than believing in the capability of anyone to change the world, you should, in fact, not be worried.
Final words
Steve Jobs, though gone, will forever remain a motivation. The change he caused in the world has set up ripples that would not disappear for a long time. Jobs also said, “I will put a dent in the universe…”, and he achieved that even after his death.
I get emotional each time I read the line, “…because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do”. Through it all, Job motivates you to be better, stronger, and more determined to succeed despite the challenges and the pressure to give up. It spurs you to always see the bright side in things, staying hopeful believing that someday you can change the world.
Beyond the limitations imposed by society, government, family, amongst others, the words of Jobs still stand true that “the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do”.
