{"id":44409,"date":"2021-07-27T01:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T05:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=44409"},"modified":"2021-08-09T09:28:13","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T13:28:13","slug":"following-your-passion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/following-your-passion\/","title":{"rendered":"Following Your Passion Isn’t the Path to Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Does following your passion<\/a> lead to joy in your work? What does the research say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cal Newport shares the evidence against the \u201cpassion hypothesis\u201d\u2014the idea that you can find a job you like by first figuring out what you\u2019re passionate about, and then looking for a job that allows you to use this passion. According to scientific research, surveys, and interviews, following your passion shouldn’t be your focus if your goal is to find a job you love<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn why following your passion is not the way to find happiness at work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Rule #1: Don\u2019t Concern Yourself With Passion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this rule, we\u2019ll look at the \u201cpassion hypothesis\u201d\u2014the idea that a job that lets you exercise a pre-existing passion will be enjoyable. Then, we\u2019ll look at the evidence that suggests following your passion isn\u2019t going to make you happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Passion Hypothesis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cpassion hypothesis\u201d is the idea that you can find a job you like by first figuring out what you\u2019re passionate about, and then looking for a job that allows you to use this passion. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The author doesn\u2019t know exactly when this idea evolved, but he thinks it was sometime around 1970 when Richard Bolles published What Color Is Your Parachute? <\/em>The book\u2019s thesis is that the best way to change careers is to figure out what you enjoy doing, and then find somewhere you could get paid to do the activities you like. (Shortform note: To learn more about Bolles\u2019s ideas, read our summary of What Color Is Your Parachute?<\/em><\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This message was groundbreaking at the time, and readers liked it and passed it on to younger generations. It’s now a staple of culture. Most career counselors teach it, most career books cover it, and people who have followed their passions, such as professional athletes, are admired. Additionally, a spin-off theory states that traditional office jobs are inherently devoid of passion and that if you want to be happy, you have to avoid them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a select few, the passion hypothesis does describe how they found their work. For example, Peter Travers, a film critic for Rolling Stone<\/em>, has taken notes on movies since he was a child, and most professional athletes have loved the sports they play since childhood. However, these cases are outliers\u2014there\u2019s far more evidence against <\/em>the passion hypothesis. The evidence indicates that following your passion isn’t the key to job satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence Against the Passion Hypothesis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The author believes the passion hypothesis is flawed <\/strong>and there are three pieces of evidence to support this: scientific research, Conference Board surveys, and Roadtrip Nation interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piece of Evidence #1: Scientific Research<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Scientists who study passion have discovered that there are several reasons people enjoy their work. Interestingly, having a pre-existing passion for the work is not<\/em> one of the reasons<\/strong>. Following your passion isn’t the path to finding work you love. <\/strong>Scientific research about career satisfaction has discovered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovery #1: Passion Isn\u2019t an Ingredient for Motivation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the best scientific understanding of what motivates people, states that there are three crucial ingredients to motivation<\/strong>, whether in the workplace or elsewhere. These traits are applicable to any field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n