A glass of water is half full. Or is it half empty?

Sam: “This sandwich is delicious!”
John: “No, this sandwich is terrible.”
Dalton: “It’s not the best, but it’s pretty good.”

Some see things in black and white. Others may see the gray area.

One of the pinnacle phenomenon’s of the human mind is how person x can see something one way and person y can see it completely differently. Then, person z can see the same thing and give a reaction in the space between person x and person y.

Whatever the situation, people will react similarly or differently, with varying degrees in between. But these are the two very basic reactions of any human mind to an event or occurrence.

“This is great” or This sucks I mean, “This inhales profusely!”

“That was a smart decision” or “That was dumb.”

“Love it” or “List it” (I concede that it is a mildly addicting show, eh).

But here is one of the truly remarkable characteristics about this dynamic: In some circumstances, the presence of an outlier with definitively rigid opinions can become the catalyst that surprisingly brings the masses together.

Wait, what?

Even upon brief reflection, it doesn’t make much sense on the surface. The odd one out is the one who unites the larger population of people who are considered the inside? How does that work? Aren’t there reasons why this person is on the outside to begin with?

One word: Apple.

When we hear this word, some of us initially think of a deliciously tasty red fruit. Others recall the ending to a well-known movie adapted from a best-selling book. However, after these first reactions, a majority of us are probably thinking of computers, tablets, phones, music players, etc.

Apple = Fruit = World Altering Password = Technology = Steve Jobs.

Most accounts portrayed the late Steve Jobs as a black and white thinker/innovator. He had a vision and that was that. Period. If you agreed and did what he needed, then great, welcome. If not, you were fired. Astonishingly, it was his rebellious thought process, wild ideas and relentless one-track mind that ultimately united consumers of all mindsets and backgrounds with Apple’s wide array of technologically ground-breaking products.

Do you own an iPhone? An iPad? An iPod? A MacBook Pro? If not, have you ever used one?

Most people, in my opinion, would not characterize Steve Jobs as normal. He was not part of the mainstream of American society. He was different. But, incredibly, this outlier became a beloved figure and thinker to the inside.

Steve Jobs rigidly saw things in black and white, and yet, in doing so, he opened the world to all the colors and opportunities in between.

Most people will color inside a box, but it takes something special to want to discover what’s outside the lines…

P.S. I learned about the trailer via a tweet from Ashton Kutcher on my iPhone 4s.