“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
- February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
- American
- Entrepreneur, businessman, industrial designer
- He brought to the world revolutionary products that combined technology and design at a high level, such as the personal computer Macintosh, iPhone, and iPad, and also revolutionized the music industry with the iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Store.
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Quote
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Explanation
In this quote, Steve Jobs reflects on the uncertainty of the future and the importance of having faith and trust in the process of life. He suggests that it’s impossible to predict how the individual experiences, choices, and challenges in our lives will come together until we look back on them with hindsight. Jobs encourages trusting in the journey, even when the path forward is unclear, and to have faith that the dots—the experiences and decisions—will eventually connect to form a meaningful pattern. Whether through intuition, destiny, or karma, Jobs believes that trusting in something greater than ourselves has the power to guide us through life’s uncertainties.
Jobs’ belief in the value of trusting the process helped guide him through difficult moments in his life, including his firing from Apple and later returning to lead the company to incredible success. He did not always know exactly how things would work out, but he trusted that his experiences, both positive and negative, would eventually align in a meaningful way. This philosophy became a cornerstone of his approach to business and personal decisions.
In today’s world, this quote serves as a reminder that uncertainty is a natural part of the journey toward success. Rather than trying to control every outcome, we should focus on trusting that our decisions and experiences will lead us to where we need to be. Whether in career choices, personal growth, or entrepreneurship, Jobs’ perspective encourages us to move forward with faith, knowing that the dots will connect in ways we may not fully understand in the moment.
