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Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

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Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#31

Post by martimoose »

SyneRyder wrote: post #27
nift wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't seem to be on sale for kindle anymore? When I go to the Amazon US it costs $10.52. Do you have a direct link?

Yup, still showing for sale on Kindle here for $2.22 US, also tried visiting via a US VPN: https://www.amazon.com/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You-ebook/dp/B0... But I'm in Australia, so it's possible it's an Australia-only sale, even though I'm looking on the US site. Edit: Also, here's the direct Amazon Australia link: https://www.amazon.com.au/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You-ebook/dp...

First link tells me "this item is not available for purchase". From that page I search for the book's title and find the same thing (same product page, with same reviews, etc.) But with a 13.53$ price tag. Infuriating to realise that the price you get is based on who you are somehow.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#32

Post by bachmeier »

rdlecler1 wrote: post #2

It makes for a nice aspirational graduation speech, but as many PhDs will attest passion doesn’t matter much if society doesn’t value your passion and you need to put food on the table.

As I understand their argument, you're supposed to choose something that can put food on the table, then work really hard at it. Once you're really good at it, you'll be passionate about it.

This is in contrast to the idea that there is something out there that you'll love doing all the time. That's a terrible idea, because you'll always hit rough spots and have to do a lot of things you hate, leading to frustration.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#33

Post by darkerside »

anoplus wrote: post #18

I explore passion because I think there are things more "economical" to be passionate about. I am now a software developer. When I was in high-school I didn't get the point of computers beyond playing pc games all summer long. I just heard once in a while "if you pick cumputers major you will have a descent job". I was a painter in high-school. I wanted to create amazing and realistic paintings to wow everyone. And I…

I love this perspective on passions and finding joy in the practical. As a former smoker, I used to get a nicotine rush while having conversations in person or over the phone (while smoking). Once that went away, 5+ years ago, I found that I enjoyed conversation less and really needed to make an effort to initiate and continue it. That hasn't gone away, so I'm hoping to get some other good perspectives on the later half of your comment.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#34

Post by darkerside »

nishantvyas wrote: post #26
rdlecler1 wrote: post #2

It makes for a nice aspirational graduation speech, but as many PhDs will attest passion doesn’t matter much if society doesn’t value your passion and you need to put food on the table.

Problem is, "Find and follow your passion" social expectation from very early in life. In reality, 1) "finding passion" early is hard; Before one turns 12, brain is not fully develop to logically understand the true likes then from 13-19 it goes thru a huge amount of hormonal, emotional and physical changes... what's left is an average 19 year old teen with I'm "not sure my major" in college, let alone the passion...…

Funny, I feel like before 12 is when our brains are free of social constraints and are most free to determine what is enjoyable or not. 5 year olds certainly know what they like.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#35

Post by darkerside »

im3w1l wrote: post #8
wazoox wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup. And see the terrible situations is all and every vocational and artistic occupations. Competition is so fierce that almost everyone has to work basically for free and sustain themselves by doing menial job on the side. You could argue that most of them would be better finding a life occupation they're at least merely interested in instead, but providing decent living, and keeping their passion as a hobby. (I've…

I can't help but wonder if a planned economy would be better, someone who said "you're good enough, pursue this we will support you economically", or said "sorry you didn't make the cut you'll have to develop a passion for something else".

This might start well, but what happens when the environment changes? Maybe that musicians music doesn't pan out, maybe we thought bread would be a more popular export so we have too many bakers. Are we going to jerk people around to follow the command economy, or are we going to simply get outcompeted by capitalism in the global market place?

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#36

Post by mark_l_watson »

Good article but for much more detailed argument I like Cal Newport’s books like Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You better.

I had a summer job programming in 1970 and really didn’t like it, but I was making something like $5/hour and learned FORTRAN. When I graduated with a BS in Physics and wanted a job I took a scientific programming job. I thought, ‘yuck, oh well.’ Funny thing was, after about 6 months I realized how good I was and that made it fun. I even gave up all free time for 2 years to take undergraduate and graduate CS classes at a local university.

Yes, the better you get at something, the more fun it sometimes is.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#37

Post by cableshaft »

bachmeier wrote: post #29
SyneRyder wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, still showing for sale on Kindle here for $2.22 US, also tried visiting via a US VPN: https://www.amazon.com/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You-ebook/dp/B0... But I'm in Australia, so it's possible it's an Australia-only sale, even though I'm looking on the US site. Edit: Also, here's the direct Amazon Australia link: https://www.amazon.com.au/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You-ebook/dp...

Price at the US link is $13.99. Australia link says they won't sell me the Kindle version.

Same here, located in the US.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#38

Post by claudiawerner »

dsajames wrote: post #10
im3w1l wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help but wonder if a planned economy would be better, someone who said "you're good enough, pursue this we will support you economically", or said "sorry you didn't make the cut you'll have to develop a passion for something else".

Look at other planned economies. They're horrible. No single group can predict the future. What people need to do is think like responsibly put limits on their adventures. These are grown ass men and women. They are responsible for themselves and if they choose to risk it all on a passion, they have nobody to blame, especially when the money is constantly telling to do something else.

I'm not necessarily an advocate of planned economy (or actually, economy in general; the system I'm looking for has been aptly described as "the end of economy") but what you're saying completely misses the point of what GP was trying to say.

These people are responsible for themselves, and they want to follow a passion, to pursue it, despite there not being very much money in it. The money is constantly telling them to do something else, you are correct. But do we really want a society structured around what money tells people to do? Doesn't that seem even a little dystopian? I heard the phrase a while ago: "a dystopia without a despot".

You say that they have nobody to blame - but that's exactly what's wrong. Why should they have to blame themselves for following their scientific, artistic, philosophical or religious passions? Should they have to "choose to risk it all"? These are the questions that need answering, because I'm not convinced that people need to be considering artistic passions as a risk at all.

I don't think there's a solution to this problem so long as the market decides whether your passion is worthy of you being allowed to survive or not.

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#39

Post by redmaverick »

PakG1 wrote: post #7

A similar sentiment: http://blogmaverick.com/2012/03/18/dont-follow-your-passion-...

Not really:

3. Find a job you love. Cuban says there's an easy way to tell if you've found a job that can help you build a career.

"If it matters how much you get paid, you are not in a job you really love," he writes. This doesn't mean that you should not strive to make as much money as possible, but you need to prioritize your passion over your paycheck if you want to put yourself on a rewarding career path that allows you to thrive.

"If you love what you do so much that you are willing to continue to live like a student in order to be able to stay in the job, you have found your calling," Cuban writes.

4. Be the best you can be. Once you've found your calling, whatever it is, you should have only one goal, Cuban says: "to be the best in the world at it."

Re: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

#40

Post by NetOpWibby »

mark_l_watson wrote: post #36

Good article but for much more detailed argument I like Cal Newport’s books like Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You better. I had a summer job programming in 1970 and really didn’t like it, but I was making something like $5/hour and learned FORTRAN. When I graduated with a BS in Physics and wanted a job I took a scientific programming job. I thought, ‘yuck, oh well.’ Funny thing was, after about 6 months I realized ho…

I can vouch for this.
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