--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jobs’s obstinacy lasted for nine months…" description: "\"“Jobs’s obstinacy lasted for nine months after his October 2003 diagnosis. Part of it was the product of the dark side of his reality distortion field...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/walter-isaacson-384_dark-side_jobs-s-obstinacy-lasted-for-nine-months_1322930.jpg" --- # Jobs’s obstinacy lasted for nine months after his October… ![“Jobs’s obstinacy lasted for nine months after his October 2003 diagnosis. Part of it was the product of the dark side of his reality distortion field. “I think Steve has such a strong desire for the world to be a certain way that he wills it to be that way,” Levinson speculated. “Sometimes it…” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/walter-isaacson-384_dark-side_jobs-s-obstinacy-lasted-for-nine-months_1322930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/walter-isaacson-384_dark-side_jobs-s-obstinacy-lasted-for-nine-months_1322930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/walter-isaacson-384_dark-side_jobs-s-obstinacy-lasted-for-nine-months_1322930.jpg) > ““Jobs’s obstinacy lasted for nine months after his October 2003 diagnosis. Part of it was the product of the dark side of his reality distortion field. “I think Steve has such a strong desire for the world to be a certain way that he wills it to be that way,” Levinson speculated. “Sometimes it doesn’t work. Reality is unforgiving.”” [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jobs’ intense will to shape reality can clash with objective limits, showing that vision must be tempered by reality. **In simple terms:** Strong vision can ignore reality, causing failure. Key Takeaway Balance vision with realistic constraints. Themes vision leadership reality obstinacy innovation Mood reflective cautionary Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product development - strategic planning - team leadership - personal ambition Key Concepts reality distortion field leadership style risk management creative control Questions to Reflect On - When has your vision ignored reality? - How do you test ideas against facts? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may blind leaders to practical challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) [Nine months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine-months/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Strong desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-desire/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [The reality distortion field was a confounding mélange of a charismatic rhetorical style, indomitable will, and eagerness to bend any fact to fit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-reality-distortion-field-was-a-confounding-m-lange-of-a/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [Steve has a reality distortion field.” When Hertzfeld looked puzzled, Tribble elaborated. “In his presence, reality is malleable. He can convince anyone of practically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/steve-has-a-reality-distortion-field-when-hertzfeld-looked-puzzled/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“veteran colleagues at Apple used to call his “reality distortion field.” Sometimes it was the inadvertent misfiring of memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/veteran-colleagues-at-apple-used-to-call-his-reality-distortion-field/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [The core tenant of what I teach is there are no facts inside the building. When we come up with a new idea, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/the-core-tenant-of-what-i-teach-is-there-are-no-facts-inside-the/) [Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/) > [“Steve Jobs was famous for what observers called his “reality distortion field.” Part motivational tactic, part sheer drive and ambition, this field made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/steve-jobs-was-famous-for-what-observers-called-his-reality/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [I guess I've always lived upside down when I want things I can't have. My wife actually thinks I have a syndrome called Reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-guess-i-ve-always-lived-upside-down-when-i-want-things-i-can-t-have-2/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“What causes all the hatred? 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wise/of-all-the-stars-whom-i-worked-with-i-think-steve-knew-better-what/) [Robert Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wise/) > [I think Steve Jobs is my idol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-huateng/i-think-steve-jobs-is-my-idol/) [Ma Huateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-huateng/) > [I think that we see Steve Jobs as the genius speaker in the mock black turtleneck with the round glasses, sort of beautifully delivering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-michael-stern/i-think-that-we-see-steve-jobs-as-the-genius-speaker-in-the-mock/) [Joshua Michael Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-michael-stern/) > [“She hated her life. She really, truly did. She was sick of taking care of everyone in her family, sick of working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-kennedy/she-hated-her-life-she-really-truly-did-she-was-sick-of-taking-care/) [Elle Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-kennedy/) ## More by Walter Isaacson > [“he never finished any of the works he began because, so sublime was his idea of art, he saw faults even in the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-never-finished-any-of-the-works-he-began-because-so-sublime-was/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [He had the attitude that he could do anything, and therefore so can you. He put his life in my hands. 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