The problem with passion

“Follow your passion”, they say.

Some problems with that phrase:

• It assumes everyone has an inherent passion just waiting to be transformed into their dream job
• It assumes that passion is intrinsic, internally motivated and powered by some unique personality trait
• It assumes no external force, extrinsic motivators are necessary to have it

It might be true for some people, but not true for 100% for sure, because:

• Passion can be nurtured. I didn’t enjoy coding at all. It wasn’t inherent in me. I wasn’t born to love computers and code, like those child geniuses we hear all the time. But over time I started to enjoy it.
• Passion can be extrinsically motivated. When something you do get appreciated and scales exponentially, you can start to get passionate about it, even if it didn’t start that way. Feedback and external validation can be a surprising way to nurture passion. Creating something that impact thousands or millions in a positive way, can be a meaningful pursuit all on its own, and that sense of meaning can be the foundation from which your passion grows.
• As you get good at something, and you enjoy your progress, passion can arise too. Progress can be what waters your passion rather than some personality trait.

So, don’t let a lack of passion hold you back from trying something new. Or don’t let passion be an indicator of someone’s talent.

Passion can come later, over time, when it scales, or when you get good at it.