He was also known for his ruthless business practices, sociopathic tendencies, saying his daughter smelled like a 'toilet' on his deathbed and then subsequently starving himself of life-sustaining nutrients until he died.
Steve Jobs was not afraid to contradict the image he was "widely known for".
I'm not defending Jobs, but people are more than one thing. It's possible he was entirely sincere when he wrote that email (allegedly), but was not that compelled to reconcile that sort of ideal with his other thoughts and actions. Thus I don't think everything Jobs said should be dismissed. I also understand why many have a hard time appreciating things that "bad" people say.
It is a shame that he said that to his daughter on his deathbed. I'd not heard about that until you mentioned it. People sometimes say crazy things or revert to earlier memories during their final few minutes, but
for Lisa, that must have solidified the reality that they would never have reconciled.
As with all things, this definitely deserves some context. His daughter later said that she used some rose mist before visiting him, and admitted that she did smell like a toilet (as in, a fragrance often used to clean toilets).
When the media was plastered with Jobs' obits, it was chastening to see the short shrift Dennis Ritchie got, especially with all the coverage around the valuable legacy of Jobs' patents for computer cases.
> ...I don't think everything Jobs said should be dismissed
I agree that whatever he said should be taken on its own merits; I just don't see the value in privileging anything the guy said over anyone else in the first place.
It's dishonest without the additional context that he was criticizing an overpowering cheap poo-pourri type-scent rather than saying his daughter smelled like shit at the very least
"Serious" press covered a Russian pee pee hoax, so if you're insisting they have standards that exclude irrelevant scatlogical references, then think again.
I wouldn't label him a by-and-large sociopath, but Steve Jobs certainly exhibited sociopathic behavior. Especially earlier in his career, Jobs was known for his lack of empathy towards his coworkers and being difficult to work with.
Steve Jobs was not afraid to contradict the image he was "widely known for".