Reality distortion
By Carol C. Harder
The late Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak in 1976, died in 2011 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Under Jobs’ guidance, Apple’s revolutionary products, which include the iPod, iPhone and iPad, are now seen as dictating the evolution of modern technology.
A major theme that ran through Jobs’ life was what is called his “reality distortion field.”
Jobs believed that people too often limited themselves – their potential – by distorting reality. This reality distortion held by Jobs is described as his opinion that people in the world found it easier to say something was impossible – rather than exploring and pushing themselves.
Jobs would demand that his engineers create gadgets and designs that were normally deemed impossible. When face-to-face, or working side-by-side with Jobs, people were inspired, forgetting or tossing aside limitations – and believed that could what Jobs said they could do.
This begs the questions, “What was the ‘real’ reality distortion at work?”
The fact is that most of the seemingly impossible things Jobs demanded of his employees were actually produced. The main hurdle to get over en route to achieving these remarkable advances was to overcome their own misgivings.
In other words, the “reality” was that – all along – they HAD the capability. Their initial conviction that they could not do extraordinary things was the actual distortion of reality.
Ever since I read about the “inner workings” of Apple, I’ve been thinking about my own “reality distortion” fields.
Where do I limit myself and buy into the idea that something is impossible?
How could I change the world around me – and ME – if I dropped my own preconceptions?
I believe that within me – and everyone else (as there was within Steve Jobs) – there is a type of “pioneer” – a leader, a trailblazer, vanguard; someone avant-garde – who want to see great things happen in the world.
All of us have that “little something” in us pushing us to strive, reach, achieve for the impossible.
Unfortunately, we tend to stay far away from that part of our existence because of a fear over what people might think.
But, just look at the changes Jobs and Apple have made in the world. Perhaps we would be wise to entertain working towards what is considered unattainable or unimaginable.
Believing against all odds, motivating ourselves – as well as others – with encouragement, hard work and kindness will help pull the best out of each one of us – the impossible best.
And that is the real genius.