Don’t become a designer if designing is your passion
Don’t follow your passion: This is the first piece of advice you’ll see when reading Cal Newport’s book ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You.’
In this era, we are constantly bombarded with the advice of following our passion and be brave. “We are told to lionize those with the courage to follow their passion,” writes Cal Newport “and pity the conformist drones who cling to the safe path.”
So, let’s uncover the details and learn why “Follow your passion” might be a terrible advice.
The passion hypothesis
Ask/search for creative advice on the internet and more than 90% of answers you get includes passion in them: ‘follow your passion’, ‘passion make it easy for you’, ‘passion is the engine to living your life’, ‘do it with passion’, ‘passion is priceless’… and the list goes on and on.
Cal Newport calls this the passion hypothesis:
The Passion Hypothesis The key to occupational happiness is to first figure out what you’re passionate about and then find a job that matches this passion.
Passion is Rare
Instead of making this article optiniated, what I’m gonna do is cite various authors, real-life examples and short stories after which you find that as you continue to seek out examples of the passion hypothesis in the real world, you become increasingly aware of its rarity.
During an interview with public radio host Ira Glass, a group of three undergraduates asked him for advice on how to determine their passions and strengths. Glass rejected the notion presented in movies that one should simply pursue their dreams without delay, stating that progress occurs in stages. He stressed that it takes time to become proficient in anything, citing his own experience in radio where it took him several years to attain fascinating opportunities. Glass recommended persevering through the challenging early stages and developing necessary skills through hard work.
In 2001, four graduates traveled across the US to interview those living meaningful lives. They established Roadtrip Nation, a nonprofit aiding youth in seeking fulfilling careers, with a video library showcasing various paths. This reveals Steve Jobs’ path is common. The videos are online and free for career guidance.
These videos teach us a valuable lesson: Compelling careers don’t always have straightforward beginnings. It’s not just about following your heart and everything will fall into place. The path to a fulfilling career can be complicated and that’s okay!
The Science Behind Why Career Passions Are Rare and Take Time to Develop
Numerous factors contribute to work satisfaction, but research shows that aligning your job with a pre-existing passion is not a significant one.
In 2002, a research team led by psychologist Robert J. Vallerand surveyed 539 Canadian university students on their passions. Though 84% identified a passion, most were hobbies like dance and sports, with only 4% relevant to work or education. This challenges the idea that passions always lead to fulfilling careers.
Amy Wrzesniewski, a Yale professor, found that most people view their work as a job, career, or calling. Even unglamorous jobs had employees who viewed it as a calling. Wrzesniewski discovered that the more experienced an assistant was, the more likely they were to love their job. This contradicts the passion hypothesis that claims immediate happiness comes from matching a job to a true passion. The happiest employees were those who had been around long enough to become proficient, develop strong relationships, and witness the benefits of their work.
Daniel Pink’s TED talk “On the Surprising Science of Motivation” discusses his book Drive and the mismatch between scientific knowledge and business practices. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is referred to as the best understanding of why certain pursuits motivate us more than others.
SDT highlights three essential psychological needs for intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness
- Autonomy refers to having control over your day and feeling your actions are meaningful.
- Competence means feeling good at what you do and being rewarded with more control over your responsibilities as you become better at your job.
- Relatedness refers to feeling connected to others.
Matching work to pre-existing passions was not found to be essential for motivation, but achieving autonomy and competence is achievable for most people in a variety of jobs with hard work.
Passion is Dangerous
In 1970, Richard Bolles’ revolutionary book, “What Color Is Your Parachute?” challenged society’s traditional approach to careers. Bolles urged readers to identify their passions and then seek out work that aligned with them. This concept was groundbreaking at the time, as the prevailing belief was that career decisions were solely based on practical considerations, and self-discovery exercises were deemed useless.
Fast forward to the present day, and the passion hypothesis has become the norm. People now crave work that offers personal growth, fulfillment, and a harmonious fit with their talents. However, this mindset has brought its own set of challenges, such as chronic job-hopping, self-doubt, and widespread dissatisfaction. People are now searching for the “perfect” job, leading to decreased job satisfaction levels. In fact, only 45% of Americans now describe themselves as satisfied with their jobs, a sharp decline from 61% in 1987. Shockingly, 64% of young people report being unhappy in their jobs.
“The passion hypothesis is not just wrong, it’s also dangerous”, says Cal Newport. “Telling someone to ‘follow their passion’ is not just an act of innocent optimist, but potentially the foundation for a career riddled with confusion and angst.
Hey, wait!
Passion may work for some, like Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers and professional athletes. However, observing a few successful instances does not make it universally effective. Studying a large group of passionate people reveals that their stories are more complex than identifying a pre-existing passion and pursuing it.
To conclude: The passion hypothesis suggests that the key to occupational happiness is to first find your passion and then find a job that matches it. However, this hypothesis has been found to be rare in the real world. Research shows that aligning your job with a pre-existing passion is not a significant factor in work satisfaction. Furthermore, matching work to pre-existing passions may not be essential for motivation. In fact, achieving autonomy and competence is achievable for most people in a variety of jobs with hard work. Thus, it is important to be aware of the pitfalls of following your passion blindly and instead focus on developing skills and becoming proficient at what you do.
I get the point, now what?
This conclusion inspires an important follow-up question: Without the passion hypothesis to guide us, what should we do instead? And that’s exactly what I will be covering in my next posts. Until then, make sure you go through this article again, digest it, and share it with those passionate about becoming designers.
References and further readings
- “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport
- Roadtrip Nation for inspiring interviews and videos.
- Center for Self-Determination Theory
- What happens to your parachute?
- Job Satisfaction Report
