Steve Jobs Is Your Overbearing Father Figure

You may think you've heard every Apple bashing argument under the sun, but we've got a new for you — Apple is an overbearing Father figure. Yes, earlier this morning I ran across this fascinating look at Apple from a psychologist's point of view.

The end conclusion is that, if we personify Apple in the form of Steve Jobs, the portrait that emerges is of an overbearing, tyrannical father (or stepfather if you prefer) who knows what's best and isn't willing to bend.

Some of children (that's consumers like you and I) are good kids, happy with what Apple does and others are more like rebellious teenagers, defying parents and hacking their way into the iPhone.

Here's some nuggets from the essay:

In truth, both groups (the goody-goodies and the naughty ones, whom we'll call hackers or independent developers) dearly want the approval of Dad, and long for him to take some pride in their endeavors.

Secretly, they'd like nothing more than Dad to take them to his bosom and praise them for how they have contributed to the family, and brought him naches.

The secret unconscious desire for many hackers is for Dad to publicly recognize them, and to offer them jobs within Apple. When Dad doesn't do this, and indeed seems to thwart them, then Oedipal rivalry occurs, a love-hate relationship with Dad, and a desire to harm him. Thus the many writers who now say they won't buy an iPhone or who tell others that Apple is not the same company they knew it to once be, thus revealing a level of “stuckness” most family therapists understand.

Keep in mind that the tone of the piece is somewhat tongue in cheek and I don't think the author is trying to argue that Apple is actually an overbearing stepfather, rather that Apple can be framed in such terms.

As one who's never particularly liked Apple's own software (Aperture and Final Cut Pro being notable exceptions), but find the third party offerings on the Apple platform generally superior to others, I find the seeking approval argument quite interesting. In other words, Mac software is generally nicer not just because of the high standard of design in Apple's own apps, but because developers need to approval of the community and of “father.” Maybe, maybe not.

I wouldn't go taking this too literally or seriously, but I'm curious to hear what our readers think of it.

[via Valleywag]