“Think Different” is Bad Advice
Nir Eyal
1029
This is a response to an aphorism. Like “Think Different”, which is no different, all aphorisms contain their counterpart that are touted in contextual use.
Depending on the person and the situation involved, I would give different advice:
- “Think Different” , to urge skepticism or a switch in perspective.
- “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, to urge on staying on the path.
They’re extremely conflicting advice and I would conclude that Apple’s version of “Think Different” was not advice but branding. Nonetheless, advice is extremely situational and almost always misinterpreted and even misconstrued. All in all, there’s not much you can say to attribute success through advice by juxtaposing standard or unconventional but only to encourage people to try and learn from experience.