You can’t sail a ship without being in sync or obeying a captain. So while pirates think of themselves as rebels, they still fall in line incredibly well. There will always be people that behave similarly to others but see themselves as an outsider. This is what makes the human sense of self so interesting, we can trick ourselves easier than anyone.
I remember reading Steve Jobs biography years ago, and when he was young, one of the questions he would ask in interviews would be, “Would you rather be a pirate or join the Navy?”
Here’s a list of things a pirate does:
- Contributes to the sailing of a ship.
- Uses force as necessary to achieve goals.
- Obeys a captain or authority.
Here’s the Navy list:
- Contributes to the sailing of a ship.
- Uses force as necessary to achieve goals.
- Obeys a captain or authority.
With that in mind, what do you think Steve’s question was trying to get at?
My personal opinion is he was looking to understand if someone is constrained by social norms in their methodology. While the lists above are similar, pirates may loot a town with force because one of their goals is to get money to survive. Navy men can’t do that. It’s against the values.
Another thing about the Navy vs. Pirates, is the Navy men are selected and recruited, they generally reject people who don’t fit their standards. The pirates are more likely to be a bunch of misfits. Steve may have been trying to sort who has a chip on their shoulder, and is looking to prove something. This is the Computer Science major who is extremely skilled, that went to Arizona State because he came from a poor background and got a scholarship there, yet is treated like something less than peers of equal skill who went to MIT.
He’s out to prove the school doesn’t matter as much as his mind. He’s motivated by it.
Worldviews are a powerful thing. They motivate people. They provide a sense of self. It’s worth it to understand the worldview of the person you’re talking to.
None of this is Right 