* Seems to me Jobs was a high-functioning Psychopath. Most psychopaths never see jail, and many do very well for themselves in business life. I think if you’re a psychopath with a high IQ, you have what it takes to do well in business life.
I think a social marker for the psychopath might be if those around him boast or complain of his “reality distortion field.”
I think that explains Jobs stealing from Woz when he didn’t have to, intimidating his girlfriend when he didn’t have to, berating Apple employee’s when he didn’t have to.
Distorting reality isn’t a gentleman’s game. You have to be willing to get in there and get your hands dirty psychologically every day. Those who revel in it are probably psychopaths.
Whether it’s Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, George Patton, or Hillary Clinton, they all revel in pounding out reality for the consumption of their devoted minions and beyond, and many of the intelligent ones actually get things done.
* I’ve noticed that the casting in the recent films for Wozniak’s character tends toward the cretinous in contrast to the casting for the Jobs role. I remember Wozniak being an articulate, inspiring and likable Apple spokesman back in the 1980′s, not some socially awkward nerd. For many of the early years Woz was the public face of Apple much more than Jobs.
* There’s an interaction effect between early sabermetrics and steroids: by emphasizing the value of homers and walks, it encouraged players to juice. It’s not a coincidence that the Oakland franchise was a historical leader in both stats and steroids.
