In 1974, at the age of 19, Steve Jobs left college and went on a vision quest to India with his friend. At the time, Jobs was a college dropout who walked 7 miles every Sunday to eat free food at Hare Krishna temple in Portland to save money for the trip. Jobs was determined to go to India in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. He was fascinated to learn more about Eastern Spirituality and Zen Buddhism so he and his college friend Daniel Kottke embarked for the trip. Arrived in New Delhi, Steve wore lungis and roamed around barefoot embracing the Indian culture. He wanted to meet Neem Karoli Baba, so he and Kottke went by train and bus to a village near Nainital in the foothills of the Himalayas. However, when they reached his ashram at Kainchi, they found out that Baba had already passed away a year ago. The trip became all the more difficult when Jobs and Kottke were struck with diarrhoea as the Indian summer continued to take a toll on the health. As Kottke describes, "Out there in the dry creek bed, in the middle of India, completely disoriented, all our rhythms and beliefs shattered, where we were sure a flash flood would come through any moment, the two of us praying to any god that could here us; Dear God, if I ever get through this, ill be a good person, I promise." After 7 months, Jobs left India and returned to the US. Jobs had changed his appearance; his head was shaved, and he wore traditional Indian clothing. They were low-key disappointed by the trip. According to Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, "The hot, uncomfortable summer made Jobs question many of the illusions he had nursed about India. He found India far poorer than he had imagined and was struck by the incongruity between the country's condition and its airs of holiness," Though initially disappointed, it turns out Jobs's trip to India was a pivotal moment in his life. It was during this time that he developed his deep appreciation for simplicity and his belief in the power of intuition. Jobs was impressed by the way that Indian people were able to find beauty and meaning in the simplest things. This inspired him to create products that were not only powerful but also elegant and easy to use. These values would later have a profound impact on his approach to product design and his leadership style at Apple. Steve also realised that maybe Thomas Edison did a lot more to improve the world than Karl Marx and Neem Kairolie Baba put together. He also retained a lifelong admiration for Mahatma Gandhi. In 1997, Apple's 'Think Different' ads, which featured his personal idols, including Gandhi. Jobs maintained a lifelong appreciation for Zen Buddhism. His belief in simplicity was evident in his insistence on creating products that were easy to use and understand. He famously said, "Design is not just how it looks and feels. Design is how it works."
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryToLearn @HistoryInPics A great read
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryToLearn @HistoryInPics Nice story, thanks for sharing
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryInPics @pikaso_me screenshot this
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryToLearn @HistoryInPics Beautiful. RIP Steve 💕
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryToLearn @HistoryInPics When Steve decided to change the word
@jeazous @fasc1nate @HistoryToLearn @HistoryInPics God help us