“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
The founder of Apple Inc, Steve Jobs, a man who was known for his dogmatic resilience in changing the world of mobile computing was someone I really loved so much, and I still do. Jobs (died on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56) was someone who saw things differently in the sphere of technology.
His invention of the Apple II, and the revolutionization of the Macintosh gave way to the introduction of many new products that the whole world will almost never stop being obsessed about. This is a reflection of his passion to make the computer an extension of the person no matter what it would cost.
Apart from leading one of the world’s most innovative and renowned tech companies, Jobs also laid down some powerful ideologies for others to stir their way to greatness and change the world. Many of these ideologies he penned out as quotes and of all these, this one really stirs me to be different.
“The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do”
This was the last part of the quote you saw in the introduction. This quote motivates me a lot and I hope it motivates you too.
Makes me emotional too
Who are the crazy people? Several times, I have often felt bad for people who are perceived differently, marginalized as misfits, and even mocked because of how much they believe in the possibility of their success. People who tried once or a few times will always be there to remind you that it is stupid to believe.
Steve Jobs’ quote in the introduction not only motivates me. It also makes me emotional for some unclear reasons. Maybe it’s because I feel the pain of his loss, an icon I have grown to admire greatly. But it’s more than 8 years since he passed away, and I can say this is anniversary grief anymore (grief of remembrance of a deceased loved one).
Is it pathological? Maybe it’s because of how emotionally the words actually strike a part of me to excel, beyond the limitations imposed by society, government, family, and even myself. Jobs’ “terrible” choice of words in describing those who change the world buttresses the degree of craziness you need to have to be able to change the world.
The magnetism of crazy people
It’s not strange to say that it’s crazy to think that you can change the world because the world looks too large for one person to change, right? With the way he described the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, all of such you’d see as abnormal, you’d begin to crave to be one of such, so you may change the world to the extent you desire.
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, to believe that they can cause a change to the world.
With over 7.8 billion people spanning over the 149-million-square-kilometer landmass on the planet, it already looks absurd to think that one person can change the world. Are you crazy enough to believe 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 world needs more crazy people
Just like you already saw here, the world is a large place indeed with countless people in it. The world is already too full of people who are afraid to do new things. The world needs a change, we all do and this can only come from people who are willing to cause the change. By thinking differently, doing things differently, and believing differently from the majority of the world out there.
Jobs didn’t just express the inner passions that made him a world changer even after his death but he was also making a call that the world needs more crazy people – those who believe they can change the world.
The world is no longer looking for sane people who are too afraid to cause a change, or who will never see beyond the protocols of birth till death and nothing more, routines that will never end, and actions that always remain in the confines of the comfort zones. The world already has enough of such people. It needs you to become that person who is full of the understanding that no matter how large it is and how many people are in it, you can cause a change in the world.
Put a dent in the universe, because you can…
Have you ever been praised for being like everyone else? It feels great that you are accepted in the crowd and the converse is also true – can be painful that you are not. However, when you are too accepted sometimes, you need to also be worried.
If you have been mocked or rejected for being a misfit, in the sense that Jobs meant, that you believe truly in the things you are passionate about to change the world with them, they might hate you or call you crazy. But never give up, in a few years, your change will also touch them. This kind of craziness is what you need to change the world.
Jobs, My Hero
Steve Jobs, though gone, will continue to remain a motivation through this life and the many great ideologies he left behind. He is still changing the world to date, and this change includes you and me. He said, “I will put a dent in the universe…”, but not only was he able to achieve that, but he also left a mark on my yearning heart, making some of us emotional.
“The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do”
