Steve Jobs Speech Essay Grade: A+ PDF

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An essay analysing a speech given by Steve Jobs....

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Essay 5: Steve Jobs Speech "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you got something to lose.”

Steve Jobs opened his speech with a startling statement of not being a college graduate himself, which made for a perfect transition to his three part story. The rhetoric of stories, and usage of layman terms makes the speech easy to follow. The first part, was about connecting the dots. Referring back to his humble beginnings as a drop out, the sheer emphasis his biological parents placed on his future college education. Ultimately, resulting in him only dropping into classes he enjoyed, such as calligraphy. Which eventually translated into his work with Apple. The motivational message he was trying to convey is that individuals should trust in their gut instinct or destiny in order to fulfill their own dream.

The second part of the story was about love and loss. Reflecting on his success in Apple, and how he was eventually fired from the company he started. Feeling lost, and on the verge of quitting. He realized how much it is he loved his work. He took inspiration from the loss and triumphed over being deemed a public failure to launching NeXT & Pixar Animations which has pioneered new age animation films. The usage examples strongly support his argument.

The third story was about death. Pondering on the thought of his eventual death, relieves him from the difficulty of making major decisions. After being diagnosed with cancer, it gave him time to contemplate what truly mattered in life. Facing the brink of death, he encouraged the audience that their time is limited and should not be spent living someone else’s dream. Rather, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks

Concluding with a memorable quote of “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” The speech ending coincided with the primary objective which was to educate the Standford class of 2005. Steve Jobs used a firm but poise stance with limited hand gestures to place emphasis on the stories without any distracting mannerisms. The enthusiasm, transparency and eloquence delivered in his speech not only inspired the attendees, but also stood the test of time as being one of the greatest speeches of the 21st century....