Steve Jobs on Humor: A Playful Exchange
What Jobs talks about
In this very short exchange, Jobs responds with quick, ironic humor to someone trying to engage him. The moment is less about a formal topic than about his off-the-cuff personality.
He teases the situation, repeats the absurdity of waiting in the rain, and keeps the tone light. The recording captures Jobs at his most spontaneous and sharp-witted.
Jobs speaks throughout; another person is present off-camera or as the interaction partner.
In his words
“What are you doing?”
“Start crying.”
“25 hours in the rain.”
“Awesome.”
“I'm dying right now.”
Key points
- Jobs uses humor to defuse a tense interaction.
- He responds playfully rather than formally.
- The exchange shows his quick timing and sarcasm.
- The recording is a brief, candid moment rather than a prepared talk.
Full transcript
Hey, what are you doing? What are you doing? Oh, now the light on. Start crying. And now I have to hold for over 25 hours. 25 hours in the rain. What time is it? 25 hours in the rain. Alright. Awesome. Makes me feel so much better. Woo! I'm dying right now. Alright. Take care, man. Let's do the rest of the story.
Transcribed from the audio with OpenAI Whisper. Timestamps link to the video above. Errors are possible.