乔布斯在斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的英文演讲稿

SteveJobs，deliveredonJune12,2005.Iamhonoredtobewithyoutodayatyourcommencementfromoneofthefinestuniversitiesintheworld.Inevergraduatedfromcollege.Truthbetold,thisistheclosestI'veevergottentoacollegegraduation.TodayIwanttotellyouthreestoriesfrommylife.That'sit.Nobigdeal.Justthreestories.Thefirststoryisaboutconnectingthedots.IdroppedoutofReedCollegeafterthefirst6months,butthenstayedaroundasadrop-inforanother18monthsorsobeforeIreallyquit.SowhydidIdropout?ItstartedbeforeIwasborn.Mybiologicalmotherwasayoung,unwedcollegegraduatestudent,andshedecidedtoputmeupforadoption.ShefeltverystronglythatIshouldbeadoptedbycollegegraduates,soeverythingwasallsetformetobeadoptedatbirthbyalawyerandhiswife.ExceptthatwhenIpoppedouttheydecidedatthelastminutethattheyreallywantedagirl.Somyparents,whowereonawaitinglist,gotacallinthemiddleofthenightasking:Wehaveanunexpectedbabyboy;doyouwanthim?Theysaid:Ofcourse.Mybiologicalmotherlaterfoundoutthatmymotherhadnevergraduatedfromcollegeandthatmyfatherhadnevergraduatedfromhighschool.Sherefusedtosignthefinaladoptionpapers.SheonlyrelentedafewmonthslaterwhenmyparentspromisedthatIwouldsomedaygotocollege.And17yearslaterIdidgotocollege.ButInaivelychoseacollegethatwasalmostasexpensiveasStanford,andallofmyworking-classparents'savingswerebeingspentonmycollegetuition.Aftersixmonths,Icouldn'tseethevalueinit.IhadnoideawhatIwantedtodowithmylifeandnoideahowcollegewasgoingtohelpmefigureitout.AndhereIwasspendingallofthemoneymyparentshadsavedtheirentirelife.SoIdecidedtodropoutandtrustthatitwouldallworkoutOK.Itwasprettyscaryatthetime,butlookingbackitwasoneofthebestdecisionsIevermade.TheminuteIdroppedoutIcouldstoptakingtherequiredclassesthatdidn'tinterestme,andbegindroppinginontheonesthatlookedinteresting.Itwasn'tallromantic.Ididn'thaveadormroom,soIsleptonthefloorinfriends'rooms,Ireturnedcokebottlesforthe5¢depositstobuyfoodwith,andIwouldwalkthe7milesacrosstowneverySundaynighttogetonegoodmealaweekattheHareKrishnatemple.Ilovedit.AndmuchofwhatIstumbledintobyfollowingmycuriosityandintuitionturnedouttobepricelesslateron.Letmegiveyouoneexample:ReedCollegeatthattimeofferedperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.Throughoutthecampuseveryposter,everylabeloneverydrawer,wasbeautifullyhandcalligraphed.BecauseIhaddroppedoutanddidn'thavetotakethenormalclasses,Idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.Ilearnedaboutserifandsanseriftypefaces,aboutvaryingtheamountofspacebetweendifferentlettercombinations,aboutwhatmakesgreattypographygreat.Itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecan'tcapture,andIfounditfascinating.Noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticalapplicationinmylife.Buttenyearslater,whenweweredesigningthefirstMacintoshcomputer,itallcamebacktome.AndwedesigneditallintotheMac.Itwasthefirstcomputerwithbeautifultypography.IfIhadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourseincollege,theMacwouldhaveneverhadmultipletypefacesorproportionallyspacedfonts.AndsinceWindowsjustcopiedtheMac,itslikelythatnopersonalcomputerwouldhavethem.IfIhadneverdroppedout,Iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthiscalligraphyclass,andpersonalcomputersmightnothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.OfcourseitwasimpossibletoconnectthedotslookingforwardwhenIwasincollege.Butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwardstenyearslater.Again,youcan'tconnectthedotslookingforward;youcanonlyconnectthemlookingbackwards.Soyouhavetotrustthatthedotswillsomehowconnectinyourfuture.Youhavetotrustinsomething—yourgut,destiny,life,karma,whatever.Thisapproachhasneverletmedown,andithasmadeallthedifferenceinmylife.Mysecondstoryisaboutloveandloss.Iwaslucky—IfoundwhatIlovedtodoearlyinlife.WozandIstartedAppleinmyparentsgaragewhenIwas20.Weworkedhard,andin10yearsApplehadgrownfromjustthetwoofusinagarageintoa$2billioncompanywithover4000employees.Wehadjustreleasedourfinestcreation—theMacintosh—ayearearlier,andIhadjustturned30.AndthenIgotfired.Howcanyougetfiredfromacompanyyoustarted?Well,asApplegrewwehiredsomeonewhoIthoughtwasverytalentedtorunthecompanywithme,andforthefirstyearorsothingswentwell.Butthenourvisionsofthefuturebegantodivergeandeventuallywehadafallingout.Whenwedid,ourBoardofDirectorssidedwithhim.Soat30Iwasout.Andverypubliclyout.Whathadbeenthefocusofmyentireadultlifewasgone,anditwasdevastating.Ireallydidn'tknowwhattodoforafewmonths.IfeltthatIhadletthepreviousgenerationofentrepreneursdown-thatIhaddroppedthebatonasitwasbeingpassedtome.ImetwithDavidPackardandBobNoyceandtriedtoapologizeforscrewingupsobadly.Iwasaverypublicfailure,andIeventhoughtaboutrunningawayfromthevalley.Butsomethingslowlybegantodawnonme—IstilllovedwhatIdid.TheturnofeventsatApplehadnotchangedthatonebit.Ihadbeenrejected,butIwasstillinlove.AndsoIdecidedtostartover.Ididn'tseeitthen,butitturnedoutthatgettingfiredfromApplewasthebestthingthatcouldhaveeverhappenedtome.Theheavinessofbeingsuccessfulwasreplacedbythelightnessofbeingabeginneragain,lesssureabouteverything.Itfreedmetoenteroneofthemostcreativeperiodsofmylife.Duringthenextfiveyears,IstartedacompanynamedNeXT,anothercompanynamedPixar,andfellinlovewithanamazingwomanwhow