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by jupiterjaz 4533 days ago
Sometimes I feel like "do what you love" is a kind of psychic barrier-to-entry for certain fields. People say "you really have to love this field in order to be successful at it". Which implies that just being hardworking, disciplined, and determined to improve aren't enough. You have to love practicing the craft more than food, sleep, sex, or any other hobby or recreation imaginable. You have to feel like you were born to do it and when you aren't that's all you can think about. That the idea of a perfect day is 16 hours at the task with as little time as possible left over for anything else like food or sleep.

That's what comes to my mind when people tell me "make sure you love this stuff before you try to become a professional. You wont succeed otherwise."
2 comments
rythie 4533 days ago
Isn't this just an effect of supply and demand? with so many people wanting to be actors or musicians, working for almost nothing, how can you compete in that market if you don't love it?
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chippy 4533 days ago
That's right - the article is also saying that because there are many people who love doing it - that they would be willing to be paid less than someone who doesn't want.

It's competition between workers perhaps?

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Double_Cast 4532 days ago
A bit of trivia I find interesting: the etymology of the word passion is "to suffer (as christ did) [1]". I think in reality, DWYL advice is quixotic. But from within the head of an undeclared major, it sounds great. "Kid, just do whatever you like, and people will pay you for it!" And from the perspective of an employer, it sounds even better. "A passionate employee will put in 120% because he wants to do it anyway." So from both party's perspective, it's a win-win. I think this is primarily why DWYL is perpetuated.

[1] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=passion&allowed_in_...

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