Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs highlights an intriguing aspect of technological innovation: the creation of gadgets that people learn to prioritize in their lives, despite initially having no real necessity for them. Jobs had a unique talent for designing products that, once introduced, quickly became essential to everyday life. This ability to shift societal expectations illustrates how technology transforms consumer behavior.
As technology continues to evolve, we find ourselves increasingly dependent on these inventions, which were once seen as luxuries or novelties. Isaacson's observations on Jobs underline the power of innovation in shaping our needs and desires, demonstrating that what begins as an unnecessary gadget can rapidly become indispensable, ultimately influencing how we live and interact with the world.