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I don't agree. While he shows a similar, uh, detachment from others, Steve Jobs is not a conformist. He does not attempt to project an aura of conventional success. His home famously had no furniture, and Jobs sometimes showed up for his Atari job without shoes. Furthermore Stevehas real skill at picking technology winners, and weaving them into a strategy, championing them to others.

He does take the credit for the work of the less dominant, though.



"Steve Jobs is not a conformist."

That's true, but I think it's true because that's what his fanbase wants him to be.

I always got the impression that Steve was projecting his customers' projections of what they wanted to be themselves. He's cool, he's likeable, he's barefoot on stage. He makes flashy, shiny products and lives comfortably as a result.

I wonder how much of Apple's success is due to a younger crowd saying, "hell yeah! If Steve can do it, I can do it!" and then going out to buy Apple products in the subconscious hope that some of Steve's success will rub off on them.

Steve Jobs seems to me to be constantly saying, "hey, you hep cats! I'm livin' the dream, and you can, too! Buy an iPod to remind yourself of this fact!" It's an interesting combination of Cult of Personality and Sympathetic Magic.




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