{"id":98497,"date":"2023-04-07T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-07T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=98497"},"modified":"2023-04-11T13:25:10","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T17:25:10","slug":"how-to-find-your-vocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-find-your-vocation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Your Vocation: Follow Your Obsession"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s a daemon? How can it help you find your vocation in life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike careers, vocations are central to your identity. That’s why it’s important to find yours. In The Second Mountain<\/em>, David Brooks says that you first need to identify your obsession in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on for Brooks’s advice on how to find your vocation in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Find Your Vocation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vocations are different from careers. Brooks argues that vocations are found in response to an injustice that demands your attention. Because they involve righting a wrong, vocations often involve serving those less fortunate than yourself. Consequently, they rarely deliver the prestige that careers do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If vocations provide the fulfillment that Brooks suggests, then it\u2019s crucial to find yours. Brooks offers his advice on how to find your vocation, claiming that you have to find a cause that you care about so deeply that it provides a constant source of energy. According to Brooks, this obsession will point you toward your vocation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, however, Brooks considers an alternative process\u2014the so-called rational approach\u2014that involves weighing costs and benefits to decide which vocation to adopt. For instance, you might assess the good that you could achieve via different vocations\u2014such as working in local politics, running a food bank, or becoming an environmental activist\u2014then select the vocation likely to achieve the most good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the rational approach is intuitive, Brooks argues that it can\u2019t help you find your vocation. After all, this approach only works if you can grasp your decision\u2019s consequences ahead of time. But, because vocations transform you as a person, you can only grasp the consequences of choosing a vocation after <\/em>the fact. For instance, no amount of research into social workers will reveal what it\u2019s like to be a social worker\u2014that\u2019s something you must experience first-hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost-Benefit Analyses and the Effective Altruism Movement<\/strong>

Although Brooks decries the rational approach to finding a vocation, the effective altruism movement<\/a> takes precisely that approach. Broadly speaking, effective altruism aims to help others in the most cost-effective manner possible. With respect to careers, then, effective altruists argue that you should choose the career that maximizes expected value to the world<\/a>\u2014even if that means simply choosing a high-paying career and donating all your excess money. 

In defense of effective altruism, prominent thinkers like Peter Singer\u2014a founder of the movement\u2014have argued that it\u2019s a simple-yet-effective way to lead an ethical life<\/a> centered around helping others. Other philosophers, however, have argued that effective altruism\u2019s focus on concrete, short-term aid makes it impossible to address broader institutional problems<\/a>, such as extreme poverty. Moreover, some have criticized the movement\u2019s utilitarian foundation, claiming that its \u201cearn-to-give\u201d mentality neglects personal moral formation<\/a>.

So, it\u2019s fair to say that effective altruism\u2019s approach to career selection remains contentious. Still, it merits consideration alongside Brooks\u2019s preferred approach.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, in lieu of a cost-benefit analysis, Brooks appeals to the Greek notion of a daemon<\/em>. Put simply, a daemon is an enduring obsession that drives you. Your daemon, Brooks writes, reveals your deepest desire<\/strong>\u2014the desire that provides lasting motivation. Consequently, your daemon guides you to your vocation. For example, if you\u2019re obsessed with discovering the truth about public events, your vocation might be a journalist or a reporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Brooks observes that individualist culture numbs this obsession since it conflicts with your ego\u2019s desires. For example, individualism\u2019s overemphasis on the hallmarks of worldly success\u2014like financial stability and prestige\u2014can make us neglect the deeper desires of our daemon, as it\u2019s often impossible to satisfy these deeper desires while pursuing worldly goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In turn, Brook provides several strategies for discovering your daemon. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n