My dear,

Sure you can be different, in one afternoon if you like. All you’ve got to do is wear you hair in an upward manner, wear your clothes in a slanted manner, and start speaking in an indistinguishable manner. Being different is art; anyone can do it, because we all have something already there that distinguishes us from everyone else.

But being better, wow, that takes time, decades even. Being better is the same as being different, but it’s being different with a purpose. Being better means you research for hours on end just to see what the best way to wear your hair is, and doing that even when everyone shuns you. Being better means wearing less clothes and only focusing on the few that matter. And being better means being smart, and then being even smarter so that you can find a way to say it to everyone clearly.

It’s very easy to be different, but very difficult to be better.

Falsely yours,
Jonathan “Jony” Ive