"Steve Jobs ' speech at Stanford University's graduation ceremony in 05"--stay Hungry, stay foolish.

Steve jobs:commencement Address at Stanford University

"Stay hungry, stay foolish."

If you are hungry for knowledge, be foolish in modesty.

Steve Jobs (Steve Paul jobs), CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Corporation (Pixar).

The following is a speech by Steve Jobs at the Stanford University graduation ceremony on June 12, 2005.

Thank. I ' m honored to is with your today for your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I ' ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to the three stories from my life. That ' s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

Thank you. Today, it is an honor to come to your graduation ceremony from one of the best schools in the world. I have never graduated from college. To tell you the truth, this is the most recent moment I graduated from college. Today, I only say three stories, not a sermon, three stories.

The first story was about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, and then stayed around as a drop-in for another-months or so Before I really quit. So, did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother is a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should being adopted by college graduates, so everything is all set for me to being adopted at BI Rth by a lawyer and he wife---except that when I popped out they decided on the last minute that they really wanted a G Irl. So my parents, who were to a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking, "We ' ve got a unexpected baby boy ; Do you want him? " They said, "of course." My biological mother found out later this my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduate D from high School. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents PRomised that I would go to college. This is the start in my life.

The first story is about how a little bit of life is strung together. I was in Reed College (Reedcollege) for six months before I was suspended from school. I dropped out of school for 18 months before I left school. So, why am I suspended? This has to start when I was born. My biological mother was a graduate student, young unmarried mother, she decided to let others adopt me. She felt strongly that I should be adopted by a college graduate, so when I was born, she was going to let me be adopted by a couple of lawyers. But the couple went back to their last minute and they wanted to adopt a girl. So the couple waiting on the adoption list, my adoptive parents, received a phone call on a day and a half night asking them if they had a boy who was accidentally born, do you want to adopt him? And their answer is of course. Later, my biological mother found that my present mom never graduated from college, and my current father did not even graduate from high school. She refused to make the final signature on the adoption document. It was not until a few months later that my adoptive parents agreed that I would be going to college in the future, and she softened her attitude.

And years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college is almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents ' savings were Being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn ' t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to does with my life and no idea how college is going to help me figure it out. And here I am spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life.

17 years later, I went to college. But when I was ignorant, I chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and my working-class parents spent all their savings on my tuition. Six months later, I can't see the value of reading this book. At that time, I do not know what to do in this life, I do not know how to go to university can help me, and I read this book, I spent all my parents ' life savings.

So I decided to the drop out and trust the it would all work out okay. It is pretty scary at the time, but looking back it is one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn ' t interest me, and begin dropping Es that looked far more interesting.

So I decided to take a break, I believe the ship to the bridge naturally straight. The decision seemed pretty scary at the time, but now it seems to be one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. When I dropped out of school, I never had to take the required courses that I was not interested in, and took the time to listen to the classes I was interested in.

It wasn ' t all romantic. I didn ' t has a dorm, so I slept on the floor in Friends ' rooms. I returned Coke bottles for the five cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Su Nday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna Temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned off to being priceless later on. Let me give your one example:reed College at this time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn ' t has to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how T o do this. I learned about serif and San serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, AB What makes great typography great. It is beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a a-on-the-It-science can ' t CaptUre, and I found it fascinating.

It's not romantic at all. I did not have a dorm, so I slept on the floor of my friend's house, and I had to buy food from the five shillings of the coke-empty jar, and every Sunday night I had to walk seven miles around the town to Harekrishna the Hindu temple. I like the good material of Harekrishna temple. After searching for my curiosity and intuition, most of the things that I have stood for have become priceless. For example: Reed College was probably the best calligraphy guide in the country. On every poster in the entire campus, the labels on each drawer are beautiful handwritten words. Because I was suspended from school, I could not follow the normal course of elective courses, so I ran to learn calligraphy. I learned serif and sanserif fonts, learned to change word spacing between different letter combinations, and learned the great place for letterpress printing. The beauty of calligraphy, the sense of history and the sense of art that science can not capture, I think it is fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the MAC. It is the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on this single course in college, the "Mac" would has never had multiple typefaces or proportio Nally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the MAC, it's likely that no personal computer the would has them. If I had never dropped out, I would has never dropped in on that calligraphy class, and personal computers might not having The wonderful typography that they does. Of course it is impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I am in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards years later. Again, you can ' t connect the dots looking forward; You can only connect them looking backwards. So you had to trust that the dots would somehow connect in your. You have the to trust in SomethiNg---Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever---because believing the dots would connect down the road would give Y Ou the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads your off the well-worn path, and that'll make all the Differen Ce.

I didn't expect these things to work in my life, but ten years later, when I was designing my first Macintosh, I thought about what I was learning, so I designed these things into Mackintari, the first computer to print beautiful things. If I didn't indulge in a class like that, Macintosh might not have multiple fonts and variable-spacing fonts. And because Windows copied the use of Macintosh, if I did not do so, probably all the world's personal computers will not have these things, can not print out the beautiful words we see now. Of course, when I was in college, it was not possible to put these dots in front of each other, but this was very clear after 10 years of review. Once again, you can't string together a bit by bit, but you'll see how the dots are strung together in a future review. So you have to believe that what you're feeling now is going to be a little more connected in the future. You have to trust something, intuition, fate, life, or karma. It never disappoints me, and it makes my whole life different.

My second story was about love and loss.

My second story, about love and loss.

I was lucky---I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz1 and I started Apple in my parents ' garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in years Apple had grown from just the both of us in a garage into a and billion dollar Over 4000 employees. We ' d just released finest creation---The Macintosh---a year earlier, and I had just turned 30.And then I got fired . How can I get fired from a company started?

I'm lucky-when I was young, I found out what I loved to do. When I was 20 years old, I started the Apple Computer business with Stevewozniak in my parents ' garage. We worked so hard that Apple expanded from two lads in a garage in ten years to a company with a market value of more than 4,000, a $2 billion firm, and it was the year before that we launched our best work-Macintosh, and I was just in my 30th year and fired. How do you get the company you started to fire yourself?

Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought is very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or So things went well. The began to diverge and eventually we had a falling visions. When we do, our Board of directors sided with him. And so at. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life is gone, and it was devastating.

Well, when the Apple Computer grew up, I asked a guy who I thought he was very talented at running the company, and he did a good job in the first few years. But our vision for the future was different, and finally we had to go our separate ways, the board stood on his side, fired me, and openly invited me out. What was once my whole adult life was gone, and I was overwhelmed.

I really didn ' t know what does for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down---that I had dropped the baton as it is being passe D to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought on running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on Me:i still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had isn't changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I am still in love. And so I decided to start over.

For a few months, I really didn't know what to do. I felt I was disappointed in the predecessors of the business community-I lost the baton they had given me. I met Davidpackard, the founder of HP, and Bobnoyce, who started Intel, and told them that I was sorry to have screwed up so badly. I became a very negative demonstration of the public, and I even wanted to leave Silicon Valley. But gradually, I found that I still love the things I did, and the events that I experienced in Apple's days did not change the things I loved to do. I was denied, but I still love to do those things, so I decided to start over.

I didn ' t see it so, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple is the best thing that could has ever happened to Me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the more creative periods of my life.

I didn't see it at the time, but now it seems that being expelled from Apple is the best thing I've ever experienced. The heaviness of success is replaced by the ease of starting over, and everything is not so sure that I am free to enter the most creative years of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named Next, another company named Pixar, and fell Woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer-animated feature film, Toy story, and was now the most successful Animat Ion Studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, and I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT are at the T He heart of the Apple ' s current renaissance. and Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

For the next five years, I opened a company called Next, and opened a company called Pixar, and also talked about love with my wife later. Pixar then made the world's first all-computer animated film, Toy Story, now the world's most successful animation production company. Then, Apple bought next and I went back to Apple, and the technology we developed at next became the core of the later revival of Apple's computer. I have a wonderful family, too.

I ' m pretty sure none of this would has happened if I hadn ' t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometime life---sometimes life going-to-hit at the head with a brick. Don ' t lose faith. I ' m convinced that's the only thing that kept me going is that I loved what I did. You've got to find.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been expelled from the Apple computer that year. The medicine is very bitter, but I think the patient of Apple Computer needs this medicine. Sometimes, life will hit your head with a brick. Don't lose heart. I am sure that I love what I do, and that is the only reason for me to go on all these years. You have to find out what you love, at work, and for lovers.

And that's as true for your work as it's for your lovers. Your work was going to fill a large part of Your life, and the-only-to-be truly satisfied-is-to-do-you-believe is Great work. And the only-the-to-do great work are to love. If you haven ' t found it yet, keep looking---and don ' t settle. As with any matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking---don ' t settle.

Your work will fill up a big chunk of your life, and the only way to get real satisfaction is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you have not found these things, keep looking, don't pause. Try your best, you know you'll find it. And, like any great relationship, things just get better with time. So, before you find it, keep looking, don't pause.

My third story was about death.

My third story, about death.

When I am, I read a quote that went something like: "If your live each day as if it is your last, someday you'll most Certainly is right. " It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past of years, I ' ve looked in the mirror every morning and asked Myse LF: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to does what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer have been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

When I was 17 years old, I read a maxim, as if "every day as the last day of my life, you will be at ease." "It has had a profound effect on me, and in the past 33 years I have been in the mirror every morning asking myself:" If today is the last day of my life, what will I do today? "Whenever I get a" nothing "answer for too many days in a row, I know I have to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon are the most important tool I ' ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in Lif E. Because almost everything---all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure---these thin GS just fall away in the "face of death, leaving" is truly important. Remembering that's going to die was the best-of-the-know to avoid the trap of thinking you had something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Reminding myself that I was dying was the most important tool I had ever made in my life when I was in the middle of a big decision. Because almost everything-all external expectations, all fame, all fear of embarrassment or failure-disappears in the face of death, and only the most important things remain. Reminding myself of dying is the best way I know to avoid falling into the trap of having something to lose. Life does not bring, death does not take, there is no reason to not go with it.

About a year ago I is diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn ' t even know what a pancreas is. The doctors told me this be almost certainly a type of cancer that's incurable, and that I should expect to live no long Er than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for "Prepare to die." It means to try and tell your kids everything your thought you ' d has the next years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything are buttoned up so that it'll be as easy as possible for your family. I means to say your goodbyes.

A year ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a CT scan at 7:30 A.M. and a tumor was clearly present in the pancreas, and I didn't even know what the pancreas was. The doctor told me that it was almost certain to be an incurable disease, I probably could not live to be 3-6 months. The doctor advised me to go home and get together with my family, which is the doctor's standard advice on dying patients. That means you have to try to finish what you want to say to your child in the next ten years in a few months. That means you have to get everything done and your family will be as relaxed as possible. That means you have to say goodbye to people.

I lived with this diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach into my intestines, PU t a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who is there, told me, when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started Crying because it turned out to being a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that's curable with surgery. I had the surgery and, thankfully, I ' M fine now.

I thought about the diagnosis all day, and that night I made a slice, and I reached into an endoscope from my throat, into my intestines from my stomach, inserted a needle into the pancreas, and took some tumor cells out. I was sedated, I didn't wake up, but my wife was there. She later told me that when the doctors looked at the cells with a microscope, they all cried because it was a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that could be cured with surgery. So I took the surgery and got better.

This is the closest I ' ve been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Have lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death is a useful but purely Intel Lectual Concept:no one wants to die. Even people want to go to Heaven don ' t want to die to get there. And yet death are the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that's as it should be, because death are very likely the single best invention of life. It ' s life's change agent. It clears out of the old to make-to-the-new. Right now the new are you, but someday isn't too long from now, you'll gradually become the old and being cleared away. Sorry to is so dramatic, but it's quite true.

This is when I was closest to death, and I hope that will continue to be the closest in the next few 10 years. After this, I can be more certain to tell you the following: No one wants to die than the previous death is an abstract concept. Even those who want to be in heaven want to live in heaven. But death is our common destination, and no one can escape. This is doomed, because death is simply the best invention in life, is the medium of life change, send away the old people, leave space for the new generation. Now you are the new generation, but in the near future, you will gradually grow old and be sent out of the stage of life. I'm sorry to be so dramatic, but it's true.

Your time is limited, so don ' t waste it living someone else ' s life. Don ' t be trapped by dogma---which are living with the results of other people ' s thinking. Don ' t let the noise of others ' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, with the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what the truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Your time is limited, so don't waste your time living in someone else's life. Do not be confused by Creed-blindly follow the creed is to live in the results of other people's thinking. Don't let others ' opinions drown out your inner voice. Most importantly, having the courage to follow your heart and intuition, your gut and intuition know how much you really want to be. Any other thing is secondary.

When I am young, there is an amazing publication called the Whole Earth Catalog, which is one of the "Bibles" of my Gen Eration. It is created by a fellow named Stewart Brand does far from the here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic Touch. This is in the late 60s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it is all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was the sort of like Google in paperback form, years before Google came along. It is idealistic, overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

When I was young, there was this amazing magazine called Wholeearthcatalog, when we were fascinated by the magazine. It was published by a stewartbrand who lived not far from the Menlopark, who made the magazine very poetic. It was the end of the 1960, when personal computers and tables were not invented, and everything was made out of typewriters, scissors, and cameras. The magazine content is a bit like Google on paper, 35 years before Google appeared: idealized, full of novelty tools and magical notes.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of the Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out A final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I am your age. On the back cover of their final issue is a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself Hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay hungry. Stay foolish. " It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. And I ' ve always wished this for myself. And now, as your graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Thank all very much. Stewar.

T had several wholeearthcatalog with his publishing team, and then out of the number. It was the middle of the 1970, and I was your age now. On the back cover of the suspension, there is a picture of the morning Country Road, the country path that you will pass when you climb the mountain. There is a fine print under the photo: If you are hungry, be foolish. It was a farewell message written by them, and I always made it my own. When you graduate and start a new life, I hope you will.

If you are hungry for knowledge, be foolish in modesty.

Thank you very much.

"Steve Jobs ' speech at Stanford University graduation ceremony in 05"--stay Hungry, Stay foolish. (EXT)