📖 How to Live Before You Die
Understanding the Text
a. What is the story about Steve Jobs’ birth?
=> Answer: Steve Jobs entered the world as the child of an unmarried college graduate student who had decided during pregnancy that her baby should be adopted. She wished for him to be brought up by a well-educated family. A lawyer and his family initially agreed to adopt him, but after his birth they withdrew because they wanted a girl instead. Later, Paul Jobs, a mechanic, and his wife, Clara Jobs, adopted him. They assured his biological mother that they would provide him with a college education.
b. What does he mean when he says, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards”?
=> Answer: According to Steve Jobs, people cannot usually recognize the future value of an experience while they are living through it. The connection between different events becomes understandable only after we look back on our lives. Both pleasant and painful experiences can contribute to our eventual development. Jobs himself went through rejection by his girlfriend, an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a job at McKinsey, and times when he lacked proper support. At those moments, he could not have known how those experiences would affect his future. Later, however, they became meaningful parts of his journey. Therefore, we should learn from our past and have faith that the events of our lives may eventually form a meaningful pattern.
c. What happened when Steve Jobs turned 30?
=> Answer: When Steve Jobs was 30 years old, the board of directors dismissed him from the company that he had played a major role in creating.
d. Jobs contends that you need to love to do what you do in order to be great at it. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
=> Answer: Yes, I agree with Steve Jobs. A strong attachment to one's work encourages a person to give it sustained attention and effort. When people genuinely enjoy what they are doing, they are more likely to remain committed during difficult situations and continue improving their abilities. This combination of interest, persistence, and hard work can help a person reach a high level of achievement.
e. Is death really life’s greatest invention?
=> Answer: Yes, death can be regarded as life’s greatest invention because it gives human existence a definite limit. Since life cannot continue forever, awareness of death makes us realize the importance of the time we possess. Although death may create fear, we should not allow that fear to prevent us from living meaningfully. Instead, we should use our limited time productively and try to achieve things that are valuable to us.
📚 Reference to the Context
a. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
“We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?”
They said: “Of course.”
i. Who was the baby boy?
=> Answer: The baby boy was Steve Jobs.
ii. What does ‘do you want him?’ mean?
=> Answer: The question asks whether Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs were ready to adopt Steve Jobs and raise him as their own child. Since they had been expecting to adopt a child, they accepted him and agreed to take responsibility for his upbringing.
iii. Who does ‘they’ refer to?
=> Answer: “They” refers to Mr. Paul Jobs and Mrs. Clara Jobs.
b. Explain the following lines:
i. “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”
=> Answer: Through these words, Steve Jobs stresses that people need to place their faith in something that can guide them through uncertainty. It may be their instinct, destiny, life, karma, or another source of personal belief. Such faith gives people the courage to continue when the future is unclear. By trusting themselves and remaining determined, they can face difficulties and keep progressing toward their goals.
ii. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
=> Answer: Steve Jobs points out that human life is finite, so our limited time should not be devoted to fulfilling another person's ambitions. We should identify what genuinely matters to us and make decisions according to our own aspirations. Following our own direction allows us to use our lives meaningfully instead of allowing outside expectations to control our choices.
c. What does he mean by “don’t settle”?
=> Answer: By “don’t settle,” Steve Jobs advises people not to accept something mediocre when they are capable of achieving something better. We should continue looking for improvement and strive for a high standard instead of becoming comfortable with an unsatisfactory outcome. A commitment to excellence can eventually lead to greater success.
d. Which style of speech is used by the speaker to persuade the audience?
=> Answer: The speaker employs a personal, informal, and narrative style. His expression is clear and uncomplicated, making the speech accessible to the audience. He strengthens his message by drawing upon incidents from his own life rather than depending entirely on general statements. His personal experiences consequently make his advice more convincing and inspirational.
e. It is not easy to motivate others. How do you think Steve Jobs’ speech is so inspiring?
=> Answer: Steve Jobs makes his speech inspiring by connecting his message directly with the experiences he has lived through. He presents three stories that reveal different forms of struggle, disappointment, uncertainty, and sacrifice. Instead of hiding his failures, he explains how they eventually became meaningful parts of his development. His life suggests that difficult circumstances do not necessarily prevent achievement when a person remains persistent. The sincere and uncomplicated way in which he tells these stories allows the audience to connect with his experiences and feel motivated by them.
f. Why do you think Steve Jobs used the personal narrative story-telling technique in his speech? What influence does it have on the audiences?
=> Answer: Steve Jobs uses personal narratives because a real-life experience can make a message more convincing and memorable. By describing events that he himself experienced, he gives his ideas greater credibility and emotional impact. His stories demonstrate how setbacks and difficult circumstances can contribute to a person's later achievements. This helps the audience understand his message more deeply and encourages them to confront their own challenges with confidence and persistence.
🌎 Reference Beyond the Text
a. One of Steve Jobs’ mottos was: ‘Think differently’. Can this make a person succeed in life? What challenges are there in thinking differently?
=> Answer: Yes, the ability to think differently can contribute significantly to success. Instead of accepting existing methods as the only possibilities, a person can examine situations from another angle and search for original solutions. Independent ideas can create opportunities and approaches that may not emerge through ordinary thinking.
However, unconventional thinking often brings difficulties. People may not immediately understand unfamiliar ideas and may criticize or discourage those who choose a different direction. A person must therefore possess confidence, patience, and determination to continue despite opposition. Past experiences can provide useful guidance while self-confidence helps an individual maintain an independent approach.
b. What does the slogan “Stay hungry; stay foolish” mean to you?
=> Answer: To me, “Stay hungry; stay foolish” means that we should continue to remain eager for knowledge, growth, and new experiences. Achieving one objective should not make us stop searching for further possibilities. We should maintain curiosity, accept opportunities to learn, and continue setting meaningful goals. A willingness to explore and improve prevents us from becoming satisfied with our present achievements and encourages further progress.
c. What does it mean to be a visionary? What makes Steve Jobs different from a fortune teller?
=> Answer: A visionary is a person who can imagine possibilities beyond the present situation and has the determination to turn those ideas into reality. Vision involves both the ability to foresee possibilities and the willingness to work toward achieving them.
Steve Jobs was unlike a fortune teller because he did not simply make predictions about what the future would bring. He imagined new developments in technology and society and actively worked to make those possibilities real. A fortune teller predicts possible future events, whereas a visionary takes initiative to influence and create the future. Steve Jobs therefore distinguished himself through his ideas, actions, and efforts to bring technological changes into people's lives.