I know irony.
Example: A blind man sees.
Oedipus the King was one of my favorite texts to teach high school sophomores. Dramatic Irony, Situational Irony, Verbal Irony, all reared their fascinating heads in that classic tale.
(I know? More than one irony? Dramatic, Situational, and Verbal Irony is just the tip of the iceberg. DM me if you want a video to watch. :)
Basically, Oedipus thought he knew everything, even how to outsmart fate. He failed, finally discovering enlightenment—truth. He finally “connected the dots.” (I will explain this another time in more detail.)
Oedipus, the mythical Ancient Greek character in the famous play, Oedipus the King—written in 429 B.C.) was known for his intelligence without any formal education. (In other words, he didn’t finish college and neither did Steve Jobs.)
Oedipus, famous for his anger, would often yell and scream when things didn't go his way.
Oedipus’ wife/mother, Jocasta, and Oedipus had a complicated relationship.
Jocasta tried to protect him and save him from his fate, but Oedipus wouldn't listen to her.
Oedipus “connected the dots” and could finally “see” the truth; ironically, he blinded himself so he literally could not see and he was finally humbled and banished to another town. In ancient times, this was equal to death.
So simply, the definition of irony is the opposite of what you expect.
Steve Jobs fits the definition perfectly.
The digital king of the world who everybody thought knew everything, the smartest guy since Einstein, had anger issues finally finds someone who loves him completely with all of his flaws, and she can not save him and prevent his suffering, but she tries.
Kōbun is Steve's Zen Master
Laurene is Steve's wife
Kōbun: [from the bench]
And when your old habits come back,
Laurene was always there to —
As you so poetically put it —
“Kick your ass.”
Laurene: Sure you do, You’re a human being. With an illness. Steve: I’m not built that way. Laurene: “Built that way?” Listen to yourself! Steve: My health is perfect. Laurene: Why do you keep lying... Steve: It’s perfect. Laurene: Lying to yourself? When will you Let in the truth? When will you see... Humans are messy, Awkward and cluttered, Look at us closely, Open our cases, You’ll only find chaos. Wires all jumbled, Circuits not working, Wrong parts, Broken drives, Sadness, illness, Despair, disease, Madness, misery... See, humans have failings. And there isn’t one button, That switches us on, And switches us off. We’re never that easy. You know you have an illness, You know you have an awful illness, You can’t keep Ignoring it. You need to Face the truth, Face the facts. And that will start By accepting that you’re human, And that you may need some help, That you’re not alone in this. I still believe In our marriage. But I can’t stand by And watch you fall apart. You know that I love you, But I can’t be with you, Unless you are willing to change. You know that I love you, But I cannot be with you, Unless you are willing To change, To change.
Finally, he is almost completely humbled before he dies - changed -; however, at the age of 56, he leaves this earth so much younger than expected.
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