Steve Jobs can be considered an American icon. He helped create a society filled with technological advances no person could have ever imagined. In 2005, Jobs presented a commencement speech at Stanford University that captured the hearts of many people through his use of emotion and rhetoric. By breaking down his speech into three parts he was able to develop one overlying theme, never give up until you find something you love. The three stories he decided to share included connecting the dots, love and loss, and death. His use of appropriate delivery and language, coupled with his established credibility as an innovator allowed for a commencement address that is now unforgettable to many people. “Your time is limited, so don 't waste it living someone else 's life,” is a predominant quote from Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University (para. 20). These simple words describe the singular purpose of Job’s message of never giving up until you find what you love to do. Jobs spoke of three influential moments in his life in order to convey the importance of following your heart. Through each of these stories he was able to keep the audience intrigued by what he was going to say next. His credibility as a business icon may have put people in the seats but his life showed them the importance of pursuing their own dreams. Steve Jobs made an incredible impact on the world through his creation and development of Apple, Pixar Animation, and NeXT. His innovations and achievements gave him instant credibility prior to his commencement address. The fact that he was so successful in life drew the audience in and kept them attentive throughout his 15-minute speech. In his first few sentences Jobs describes Stanford as “one of the finest universities in the world,” (Para. 1). By describing Stanford in this manner the audience wants to listen because they too believe what he is saying. Jobs goes on to explain he will be talking about his life through three important stories. With his audience comprised of professors, graduates, and staff members from one of the elite universities in the United States, Jobs use of language was appropriate and for the most part respectable.
…show more content…
He never appeared to make a negative comment outright about another person or group unless it was himself. However, his use of wit and humor did mask some of his disdain for Microsoft and the Apple Board of Directors. For example, he said, “How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out” (Jobs para. 9). He did not mention these individuals directly, however, the listener certainly knows he does not hold them in high regard. Through his use of wit, rhetoric, and emotional triggers Jobs was able to persuade the audience that you can achieve great things even under difficult circumstances. Steve Jobs use of pathos makes people believe they can go through hardship and somehow successfully move forward. He speaks to his college experience and not being able to afford it, as well as describing his termination from Apple. These two life experiences made the audience feel for him. Moreover, as he explained his eventual successes, the audience could see that perseverance is an important character trait. Along with emotional appeal his anecdotes captured the audience. He describes his college calligraphy class as an exceptional experience. “I learned about serif and San serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can 't capture, and I found it fascinating” (Jobs para. 6). The use of his words makes you feel like you were in the classroom. There wasn’t a moment where his anecdotes didn’t create some sort of positive effect. Towards the end of his speech, Jobs used a quote multiple times, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” (Jobs para. 22). This quote used in repetition had an immediate effect on the audience. By placing this
He never appeared to make a negative comment outright about another person or group unless it was himself. However, his use of wit and humor did mask some of his disdain for Microsoft and the Apple Board of Directors. For example, he said, “How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out” (Jobs para. 9). He did not mention these individuals directly, however, the listener certainly knows he does not hold them in high regard. Through his use of wit, rhetoric, and emotional triggers Jobs was able to persuade the audience that you can achieve great things even under difficult circumstances. Steve Jobs use of pathos makes people believe they can go through hardship and somehow successfully move forward. He speaks to his college experience and not being able to afford it, as well as describing his termination from Apple. These two life experiences made the audience feel for him. Moreover, as he explained his eventual successes, the audience could see that perseverance is an important character trait. Along with emotional appeal his anecdotes captured the audience. He describes his college calligraphy class as an exceptional experience. “I learned about serif and San serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can 't capture, and I found it fascinating” (Jobs para. 6). The use of his words makes you feel like you were in the classroom. There wasn’t a moment where his anecdotes didn’t create some sort of positive effect. Towards the end of his speech, Jobs used a quote multiple times, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” (Jobs para. 22). This quote used in repetition had an immediate effect on the audience. By placing this