Gladwell: Steve Jobs Will Be Forgotten In 50 Years...

Friday, June 08, 2012
by paul

Steve Jobs, forgotten by 2062? Absolutely, according Malcolm Gladwell, and the reasons have more to do with the inherent 'amoralism' of the successful entrepreneur and businessman than anything else.

"Bill Gates was the most ruthless capitalist, and then he wakes up one morning and says, 'enough'. And he takes his money off the table. And I firmly believe that 50 years from now, Bill Gates will be remembered for his charitable work. No one will even remember what Microsoft is. And, of the great entrepreneurs of this era, people will have forgotten Steve Jobs."

But Gladwell wasn't just taking pot-shots at Jobs. During the interview - held at the Toronto Public Library last week - Gladwell questioned our society's blind worship of the entrepreneur, especially given the group's tendency to disregard moral issues, politics, and human considerations. "We venerate entrepreneurs in our culture," Gladwell continues. "They are our new prophets, literally we worship them."

Legacy? The Steve Jobs parking job...

It's not so much a character judgment as an analysis of entreprenerial DNA. And things like dogged focus and business achievement are frequently inconsistent with more complicated moral and human distractions. Which seems incredibly relevant to Jobs, and on a broader note, could explain some of the issues being faced by artists right now.

"One thing that is very clear about them is that the greatest entrepreneurs are amoral, it's not that they are immoral it's that they are amoral.... They are completely and single-mindedly focused on their businesses."

Which certainly seems to apply to Steve Jobs, a 'self-promoter on a level we have rarely seen,' according to Gladwell. But those accomplishments could fade.

"Who's Steve Jobs again? There will be statues of Bill Gates across the third world, and people will remember him as the man who - there is a reasonable shot, because of his money - that cured malaria."

Also check out: "Steve Jobs: What an Asshole..."

Comments Closed

Comments (16)

Wells Baum Friday, June 08, 2012

Wiped from ours minds in terms of comparison and creativity. The same has already happened to Michael Jordan.

All it takes a YouTube video and some reading to see greatness.

Steve lives on. Not forgotten.

dhenn Friday, June 08, 2012

Really? Carnegie, JP Morgan, Astor, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Flagler, Mellon, Cooke, Duke, Gould, etc. I think Mr. Gladwell needs to brush up on his history.

Versus Sunday, June 10, 2012

Most of those names are memorialized due to their philanthrophy: so many institutes, foundations, buildings, university endowments, etc in their names. Otherwise they would be seen as mere robber-barons. Those characters are more like Gates than Jobs.

- V

RR Friday, June 08, 2012

@dhenn - you listed a long list of great philanthropists. I'll wager you don't know why they were rich, but they are remembered because they became great statespeople who realized there was something more important than their own egos. There were plenty of other billionaires who never rate a mention - because nobody remembers them, because they gave nothing to the society that gave them so much.

Jobs was a successful marketer of some gadgets that incrementally improved existing technology that were developed by someone else. So i have a Google Maps app. Awesome. He didn't even develop the apps.

I'm sorry, but I am mystified by the beatification of Jobs. His devices don't even work properly.

Steve Jobs Friday, June 08, 2012

Oh I'll be remembered. But nobody will remember Malcom Gladwell, who obviously hates innovation that doesn't end in philanthropy. Your books suck Malcom! Your a self righteous ass. Now excuse me while I hang with John Lennon and make heavens tech better looking and easier to use.

dan Friday, June 08, 2012

Jobs forgotten in 50 years.

Gladwell forgotten in 5.

mdti Friday, June 08, 2012

minutes....

Visitor2 Sunday, June 10, 2012

This is missing the point. He isn't self gratifying, he is saying something on what is truly valuable to the world as a whole. Designing a slick computer and ipod doesn't leave as much of an impact on the world as curing a disease.

mdti Tuesday, June 12, 2012

i think we were only playing.

What is annoying, is the assumed capacity in predicting the future... I don't think anyone can tell, even with data, or the world would not be in such a shape... i guess.

Mark Friday, June 08, 2012

His book Outliers was and is still one of my favorite reads. Gladwell definitely has a different perspective than many, and have to agree with him about how much society worships entrepreneurs... to the point of them becoming the leaders of a new religion.

It wasn't until I read that book that I realized that there is so much more going on that brings successful people to their peak (fully outside of the self-driven accomplishment that we're all trained to believe.) Not bashing Jobs or anything, I think he was an amazing guy. I just think we all need to remember that he was just a guy though, not (insert prophet's name here).

REALTALK Friday, June 08, 2012

Dear Malcolm,

That's a really disrespectful thing to say about someone who is dead. I've read all of your books. They are GREAT! I had to look up your name when I read this article because that's how memorable you are to me.

Best of luck,

RealTALK

Vistor2 Sunday, June 10, 2012

So because someone is dead we must automatically not say anything negative about them? What kinds of things do you say about Hitler?

merrico1 Friday, June 08, 2012

Also: Outliers will rise and challenge Dianetics as the blueprint for
enlightenment. The future. LOL.

@hannaeasley Sunday, June 10, 2012

WOW.

@dancall1 Sunday, June 10, 2012

Gladwell's trolling again...

Michael Mitsakos Monday, June 11, 2012

http://moneyandblues.com/widen-the-scope-of-good/

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