Legacy

When I woke up on the morning of October 6th, I visited Apple blog Daring Fireball and saw a deep black background in place of the usual grey. That can’t be good, I thought: someone has died. Then I saw the headlines.

When someone in Steve Jobs’ position dies, two things happen: first, the person’s friends and family suffer; second, the person’s achievements are celebrated, picked over, and the person is — often — idolised. That day, I watched the second of those things happen, and imagined the first.

My family has suffered two deaths from cancer in the past few years, and I know that whatever someone has achieved in their life their death still feels as painful as you could imagine. Everyone achieves something important, whether it’s battling cancer, raising children, or changing personal technology for the better: we all deserve to be remembered and celebrated for the difference we make in the world.

But Steve Jobs’ real legacy isn’t an unreachable plateau of genius: it’s the example he set, an example of someone who believed in himself, trusted his instincts, and had the courage to do what he thought was right. That’s something we can all achieve, in our own ways, if we remember what’s really important.

Here’s an excerpt from Jobs’ widely-quoted Stanford commencement address (justifiably regarded as being in a different league to the usual graduation cliches):

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

The best way to celebrate someone’s life is to learn from it.