What crucial effect did remembering his impending end have on Jobs’ ability to make big choices?
Answer
It drastically reduced the fear of failure and anxiety over external perceptions
When one internalizes the finite nature of their time, the psychological barriers that often impede bold action begin to dissolve. Remembering mortality diminishes the power of fear of failure or concern about what others might think, because external validation fades in importance compared to the limited opportunity to achieve true purpose. This awareness lowers the perceived stakes of immediate challenges, allowing an individual to pursue ambitious paths that align with internal priorities rather than external expectations, as failure only postpones a return to the null state awaiting everyone.
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?