From: The Atlantic
‘Find Your Passion’ Is Awful Advice
Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, remembers asking an undergraduate seminar recently, “How many of you are waiting to find your passion?”
“Almost all of them raised their hand and got dreamy looks in their eyes,” she told me. They talked about it “like a tidal wave would sweep over them,” he said. Sploosh. Huzzah! It’s accounting!
Would they have unlimited motivation for their passion? They nodded solemnly.
“I hate to burst your balloon,” she said, “but it doesn’t usually happen that way.”
—
In a paper that is forthcoming in Psychological Science, the authors delineate the difference between the two mind-sets. One is a “fixed theory of interests”—the idea that core interests are there from birth, just waiting to be discovered—and the other is a “growth theory,” the idea that interests are something anyone can cultivate over time.
Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The Atlantic
More of our Members in the Media >
Comments
Dweck has confused the issue. I never met anyone who thinks they were born with a specific passion. Everyone knows they have to discover what they like through experience and trial and error. And research shows that passion has to be combined with reason (which includes gaining knowledge and skill) in order for one to succeed.
Hi 🙂
Have you read Dweck’s paper or are you referring to the summary above?
Following one’s passion is an artistic notion rather than a professional one for the very reason that, aside from healthy future growth and potential change, it is our instinct – or subconscious self – which motivates us in life. Our conscious choices are also involved, but not primary.
I think neurobiology, how the brain works, is completely supporting these ideas from Carol and her colleagues. Genes are controlled by environment since the beginning of the brain in utero. Passion, reason, and other issue of motivation, which they have studied for decades, are all learned. That means we have more control than we thought, but we need to learn how to use it.
APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines.
Please login with your APS account to comment.