An email from Steve Jobs to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs’ philosophical state of mind in his last days was captured in an email he wrote to himself. The email was released by his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, after the Apple co-founder died of pancreatic cancer in October 2011. He was 56.

In the email, dated September 2010, Steve Jobs wrote: “I grow little of the food I eat, and of the little I do grow, I do not breed or perfect the seeds.”

“I do not make my own clothing. I speak a language I did not invent or refine,” he continued. “I did not discover the mathematics I use… I am moved by music I did not create myself.”

The email continued in a similar vein as Jobs reflected on the everyday things he uses – all invented by someone else. In one particularly poignant sentence, he wrote: “When I needed medical attention, I was helpless to help myself survive.”

Credit: The Steve Jobs Archive

In the end, the co-founder of Apple expressed his love and admiration for humankind. “I did not invent the transistor, the microprocessor, object oriented programming, or most of the technology I work with. I love and admire my species, living and dead, and am totally dependent on them for my life and well being,” he concluded.

The email was revealed as part of the Steve Jobs Archive, an online resource unveiled last week in honour of his legacy. The online repository was launched by Jobs’ widow. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Jony Ive, Apple’s former design head, were among the high-profile guests at the event.