Stay hungry, Stay Foolish!

[Smarky]

I've always loved this phase that Steve Job's used in his speech a few years ago, I've actually considered getting it tattoo'ed on my back.

I've thought a lot about it, what it means, how to apply it. What would it actually mean in reality.

So to you? What does it mean? I'd really like to discuss what it means to "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" and how to apply that to the world.

[Power]

If you tattoo it on your back then you won't see it
It would be good, "stay hungry" inner left forearm and "stay foolish" inner right forearm.

Stay foolish doesn't really resonate for me, but stay hunger does... hehehe and I don't mean it in a joke. I've always felt it in my being of absorbing knowledge as much as I can. Hungry for more knowledge and hungry for more life experience.

Not quite sure yet what you mean by how to apply to the world. Do you mean how I, being hungry for knowledge can help the world?... hmmm not quite sure of that one yet.

[Smarky]

Yea, how would you apply it?

I dunno, myself i'm in search of that greatness for myself and Steve jobs is someone I admire, he has IT, what it is. I want it lol =P

I'm really kinda obsessing over the idea, I guess that is the staying hungry part lol

[Joely]

"Staying foolish" is about having the courage to do things that look stupid to everybody else, because you have the belief to know you can make it work out.

Foolishness is the ability to ignore the "logic" that tells you things will be difficult, impossible, don't make sense in this market. It's not foolish as in complete stupidity, but it's that quality that gives you the determination to do what you want to do and ignore whatever stands in your way.

[veranadine]

I think that I would see it as stay hungry for what you truly desire and you slowly dumb yourself down from ever achieving it.

But, feed your soul what it loves, what it keeps asking for and you smarten up about it. ie. you learn how to get that everything.

It is essentially a "Do It Now" kind of message to me.

Why keep hungering for something that you could already have?

I have embraced this very same concept myself in recent months. Why keep dreaming away about "someday" and "when I'm..."

Just do it.

My fiance and I decided that planning to stop working and start traveling "in the future" was good as saying, I will think about that when I'm dead.

Now we are living in the UK, paying just as much for rent and food as we would have sitting in the same-old-same-old back home.

We don't regret smartening up to our desires one bit. It is so freeing to stop dwelling on and thinking about your dreams and just funnel that same energy into actually living them.

I guess I tend to see this phrase the opposite way to everyone else. But there you have it. We're all individuals.

Blessings,

[MariaG]

Re: Stay Foolish - I went to a training this week about asking good peer coaching questions. The trainer kept repeating the phrase "IQ of 5."

It was a reminder to ask questions that may seem obvious, but often elude us. The result was the person being coached had to re-think their own fuzzy logic in a lot of places.

When I think "Stay Foolish" I think it means something similar. Never be afraid to ask the obvious questions that everyone takes for granted such as, "Why have we always done it that way? What if we did it this way?" In my experience, those moments are the real drivers of change.

[elliot]

I agree with both Steve Jobs original message and the others who have posted here. by staying hungry, we never become complacent with what we have. Those who rest on my laurels are often outdone by the competition. Many now defunct technology companies can attest to this, as well as companies that depended on an inflexible business model.

By staying foolish, we constantly question that which we have come to believe is the only way or the best way to do things. Being foolish enables us to envision alternative methods of dealing with problems and solutions.

[Smarky]

Originally Posted by Power

If you tattoo it on your back then you won't see it
It would be good, "stay hungry" inner left forearm and "stay foolish" inner right forearm.

Hmm Good idea! thank you! and then I can get King Smarky tattooed on my lower back!! Really love it!!

Thanks for clearing this up everyone, I have a much better understanding of the concept now than before! your words are better than mine!!

[SmellyOrc]

'Stay hungry'... what does that mean to me? That the person saying that is a ******* and should start eating for his own good!

[acoosticzoo]

Originally Posted by Joely

"Staying foolish" is about having the courage to do things that look stupid to everybody else, because you have the belief to know you can make it work out.

Foolishness is the ability to ignore the "logic" that tells you things will be difficult, impossible, don't make sense in this market. It's not foolish as in complete stupidity, but it's that quality that gives you the determination to do what you want to do and ignore whatever stands in your way.

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I just came upon the Youtube video today.

At first, I wasn't sure what "Stay Foolish, Stay Hungry" meant. Way too deep. Kinda cryptic too. Thanks everyone for posting.

I agree that foolishness/ignorance is bliss. If you know too much, you may never want to give anything a go. You think your way out of action.

It's funny cos Steve jobs says stay hungry and foolish. Thus, he is saying that you don't need to be smart to make it, but hungry. Hungry for the thing that you love. Cos by doing the thing you love, you eventually become better. Staying foolish works when you're starting out and when you've made it. When you begin a journey, stay foolish means to give it a go regardless of what you know logically to be right. Don't follow trends, go with you're gut and make mistakes. Staying foolish promotes actions and encourages growth through experimentation and discovery. If you have made it, stay foolish keeps you humble, keeps you down to earth, questioning and always treating things with a sense of awe like in your younger days.

Actually the speech ties everything in. Steve really said all that he needed and knows that each of the 3 stories line up perfectly for why he was successful.

The first was connect the dots and always do what you love - don't settle. Out of adversity/mistakes you can learn and just continue to do what you love.

The 2nd, live everyday like it's your last. Don't spend time doing what others tell you too. Believe in your journey and focus on what matters/your passion.

The 3rd, stay foolish and stay hungry - thanks to the thread, I get it now.
It's about being young at heart, being hungry and be fooling by not being so smart and experience that you reject new things.

Regards
Josef Horhay
Mixing Engineer
www.acoosticzoo.com