In which highly cited event did Steve Jobs articulate his view on death as life’s best invention?
Answer
His 2005 commencement address at Stanford University
The primary origin of Steve Jobs’ specific phrasing regarding death being the single best invention of life traces back to his commencement address delivered at Stanford University in 2005. This address gained significant notoriety because Jobs delivered these profound philosophical reflections while already confronting serious health challenges, lending substantial personal authority and lived experience to his warnings about mortality and focus. This context framed the speech not as abstract philosophy, but as a hard-won realization about meaningful living.
Related Questions
What did Steve Jobs cite as the single best invention of life during his famous pronouncements?What specific function did Steve Jobs assign to death as life’s central mechanism?In which highly cited event did Steve Jobs articulate his view on death as life’s best invention?What structural problem does the function of death, viewed as an invention, solve for systems?What crucial effect did remembering his impending end have on Jobs’ ability to make big choices?What specific trap, related to prior effort, did Jobs suggest awareness of death helps cut through?How does the engineering perspective apply the necessity of mortality to human existence and legacy?What is required for the active management of mortality, beyond mere contemplation, concerning current obligations?What contrasting philosophical focus does Jobs’ functionalist argument about death move attention away from?How does knowing time is strictly limited—the ultimate constraint—affect decision-making ability?