The Importance of Writing Academically: Summary Writing

A Life in Three Acts

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address was both personal and inspirational. He began by avowing not having graduated from college and then let his audience know he would be delivering them three stories about his life. These stories accounted for his first experiences until recent events at the moment of his speech; each of them depicting cornerstones of his existence and transmitting a clear message: ‘never settle.’ The purpose of this paper is to summarise those anecdotes.

Jobs’ first story was about linkage. He claimed (Standford, 2008) he had been adopted by a working-class family despite his biological mother’s requirement that he be adopted by college graduates. Nonetheless, his adopting parents promised their son would attend college, only then did his mother signed the papers for his adoption as she believed that would guarantee her child a profitable future. He declared he did go to college although he eventually dropped out. He claimed he was uncertain about his future and could not see the point of elucidating it through formal education. According to him, honouring his curiosity and intuition was the best decision he had ever made as it led him to take up the classes that interested him genuinely; in his case it was calligraphy.

Jobs granted his knowledge did not seem to have any practical use at the moment. However, calligraphy would prove its value years later when Jobs applied it to the Macintosh computer making it the first one to own this kind of design. This connection, Jobs continued, was only possible by relating his past decisions to his present ones. Jobs finished his first account by pointing out the importance of relying on one’s own decisions and being hopeful they would achieve their purpose in the time ahead. (Standford, 2008)

Jobs’ second anecdote dealt with ‘love and loss’, as he declared. He described the rise and downfall as an owner of his own company and the consequences of his own forfeiture. Jobs also reported having found his life partner and started a family during this period.

Even though he was publicly exposed during this time, Jobs argued, he carried on pursuing his passion and proceeded to fund two other successful companies: Next, later purchased by Apple Inc. and Pixar, the worldwide known animation studio.

He concluded this narrative drawing attention to the lesson that can be gained from failure; that there is a possibility to begin anew. He also reasoned that only by pursuing one’s mission and performing one’s best can someone accomplish personal fulfilment. (Standford, 2008)

Finally, in his last story Jobs referred to death as an incentive to live life to the fullest. He argued that being certain of death is the best attribute to realise the significance of life. He reported his near-death near death experience as he was diagnosed with pancreas cancer; the way he had become aware he needed closure at a very unexpected time in his life. Fortunately, he declared, he was able to face surgery and was granted hope for the future. He added this episode as a wakeup call for his audience; death is life’s final destination, and this endless cycle should serve as evidence of how imperative it is to be true to oneself. (Standford, 2008)

In the end, Jobs last made a wish to his audience quoting some words of wisdom which inspired him in his youth, during which he was a reader of the The Whole Earth Catalogue: ‘Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.’ (as cited by Jobs in Standford, 2008).

All in all, Steve Jobs’ speech is distinguished by its encouragement to trust one’s inner voice when making decisions, no matter how young or inexperienced the person might be; by its acknowledgement of failure as part of a learning process that can lead to new experiences and by its incentive to stay curious during the whole process.

Summary written in collaboration with Prof. Ludmila Ruiz Diaz

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