--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had never dropped in on that single…" description: "\"If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/389/steve-jobs-307_calligraphy_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_342739.jpg" --- # If I had never dropped in on that single course in… ![“If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on…” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/389/steve-jobs-307_calligraphy_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_342739.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/389/steve-jobs-307_calligraphy_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_342739.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/389/steve-jobs-307_calligraphy_if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single_342739.jpg) > “If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backward 10 years later.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes how unexpected, seemingly minor choices can shape major technological outcomes later on **In simple terms:** Small decisions can lead to big impacts later Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected opportunities Themes career technology creativity Mood reflective inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - college courses - career pivots - design education - technology development Key Concepts serendipity design innovation Questions to Reflect On - What small choice might change your future? - How do you recognize hidden opportunities? A Different Perspective Success often depends on unseen future connections ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calligraphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calligraphy/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Connecting the dots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connecting-the-dots/) [Dropping out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dropping-out/) [Looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-back/) [Personal computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-computers/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Typography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typography/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-i-had-never-dropped-in-on-that-single-course-in-college-the-mac/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-minute-i-dropped-out-i-could-stop-taking-the-required-classes/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-i-was-young-there-was-an-amazing-publication-called-the-whole/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-biggest-effect-of-the-personal-computer-revolution-has-been-to/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of five to six times the historic rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-putnam/young-americans-are-dropping-out-of-religion-at-an-alarming-rate-of/) [Robert D. Putnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-putnam/) > [College has been oversold. It has been oversold to students who end up dropping out or graduating with degrees that don't help them very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/college-has-been-oversold-it-has-been-oversold-to-students-who-end-up/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [I ended up dropping out of high school. I'm a high school dropout, which I'm not proud to say, ... I had some teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-swank/i-ended-up-dropping-out-of-high-school-i-m-a-high-school-dropout/) [Hilary Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-swank/) > [Particular individuals who might never consider dropping out if they were in a different high school might decide to drop out if they attended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-coleman/particular-individuals-who-might-never-consider-dropping-out-if-they/) [James S. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-coleman/) > [I think the reason you see so many people dropping out of politics is because there's an anti-poetic strain in modern political discourse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-the-reason-you-see-so-many-people-dropping-out-of-politics-is/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Being a victim of oppression in the United States is not enough to make you revolutionary, just as dropping out of your mother's womb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/being-a-victim-of-oppression-in-the-united-states-is-not-enough-to/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [In my view, what really counts here, as our political system falls apart before our very eyes, where voters really feel like they've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/in-my-view-what-really-counts-here-as-our-political-system-falls/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I believe that poverty is often the result of inappropriate behavior - out-of-wedlock births, dropping out of school, crime and drugs - which should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-klein/i-believe-that-poverty-is-often-the-result-of-inappropriate-behavior/) [Joe Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-klein/) > [Nothing says 'dropping out of society' like learning the banjo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-roth/nothing-says-dropping-out-of-society-like-learning-the-banjo/) Daniel Roth > [WHEN AT 15, MY GIRLFRIENDS STARTED DROPPING OUT OF THEIR BELOVED SPORTS TEAMS, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO APPEAR MUSCLE-Y, WHEN AT 18, MY…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/when-at-15-my-girlfriends-started-dropping-out-of-their-beloved/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [When you conceal inner reality, this pressure builds. You often don't expose yourself until it reaches extremity, a breaking point, and what emerges is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/when-you-conceal-inner-reality-this-pressure-builds-you-often-don-t/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Calligraphy quotes > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Music. Close your eyes and it's a rosebush blooming in time lapse so that it shoots and blossoms flow outward in a swift choreography…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/music-close-your-eyes-and-it-s-a-rosebush-blooming-in-time-lapse-so/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [My handwriting was nothing to write home about, and I had this idea that calligraphy was like taking Latin in high school: that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/my-handwriting-was-nothing-to-write-home-about-and-i-had-this-idea/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [Barrabas came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/barrabas-came-to-us-by-sea-the-child-clara-wrote-in-her-delicate/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country… I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/reed-college-at-that-time-offered-perhaps-the-best-calligraphy/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I used to do calligraphy, and I'm afraid that has lapsed, but I've always been interested in book printing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/i-used-to-do-calligraphy-and-i-m-afraid-that-has-lapsed-but-i-ve/) [Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/) > [Traditional paintings have few figures in them and value negative space. Japanese calligraphy and brush paintings are in black and white. Haiku is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-sasaki/traditional-paintings-have-few-figures-in-them-and-value-negative/) [Fumio Sasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-sasaki/) > [“When I hear his voice, I see his words written in calligraphy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-martin/when-i-hear-his-voice-i-see-his-words-written-in-calligraphy/) Shawn Martin > [But I was wrong. I should have known it wasn't owver, couldn't be over quite easily. No sooner was Xavier out of sight than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/but-i-was-wrong-i-should-have-known-it-wasn-t-owver-couldn-t-be-over/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [The five excellences include: calligraphy, painting, poetry, medicine, and t'ai chi chuan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheng-man-ch-ing/the-five-excellences-include-calligraphy-painting-poetry-medicine-and/) Cheng Man-ch'ing > [If I had known there was such a thing as Islamic Calligraphy, I would never have started to paint. I have strived to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/if-i-had-known-there-was-such-a-thing-as-islamic-calligraphy-i-would/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [When we were working on 'River Ota' in the '90s, I learnt to read Japanese, which was how I discovered that it incorporates elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/when-we-were-working-on-river-ota-in-the-90s-i-learnt-to-read/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [The circle is a reminder that each moment is not just the present, but is inclusive of our gratitude to the past and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuaki-tanahashi/the-circle-is-a-reminder-that-each-moment-is-not-just-the-present-but/) [Kazuaki Tanahashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuaki-tanahashi/) > [“Calligraphy is a geometry of the soul which manifests itself physically.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/calligraphy-is-a-geometry-of-the-soul-which-manifests-itself/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) [Browse all 50 Calligraphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calligraphy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. 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