--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You should not pick an occupation because…" description: "\"You should not pick an occupation because your think your parents want you to do it, or because you think it's the noble thing to do. You should only p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/henry-louis-gates-2372_career_you-should-not-pick-an-occupation-becaus_1793954.jpg" --- # You should not pick an occupation because your think your… ![“You should not pick an occupation because your think your parents want you to do it, or because you think it's the noble thing to do. You should only pick a job because it turns you on.” quote by Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/henry-louis-gates-2372_career_you-should-not-pick-an-occupation-becaus_1793954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/henry-louis-gates-2372_career_you-should-not-pick-an-occupation-becaus_1793954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/henry-louis-gates-2372_career_you-should-not-pick-an-occupation-becaus_1793954.jpg) > “You should not pick an occupation because your think your parents want you to do it, or because you think it's the noble thing to do. You should only pick a job because it turns you on.” [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing a career based on personal passion rather than external expectations leads to fulfillment and success. **In simple terms:** Pick work that excites you, not what others expect. Key Takeaway Follow your passion. Themes career passion self‑direction Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - job search - career planning - personal development - life decisions Key Concepts authenticity intrinsic motivation values Questions to Reflect On - What work truly energizes you? - How do you differentiate passion from pressure? A Different Perspective External pressures can mask true interests, causing dissatisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [Occupation Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation-think-868801/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-want/) [Pick Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pick-job-1815393/) [Picks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picks/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Things to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-to-do/) [Think Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-parents/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The truth is I would do my job for free! I love it every day. If you can possibly choose a vocation that's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-truth-is-i-would-do-my-job-for-free-i-love-it-every-day-if-you-2/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Writing, for me, is the best occupation I can think of, and there is nothing in the world I would rather do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/writing-for-me-is-the-best-occupation-i-can-think-of-and-there-is/) [Phyllis Reynolds Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/) > [I think as parents you want to at least try to provide a good example to your kids. So yeah, I feel like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lachey/i-think-as-parents-you-want-to-at-least-try-to-provide-a-good-example/) [Nick Lachey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lachey/) > [And I think that's righteous, I think that's what parents want to know. They want to know what's going right in the school, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-spellings/and-i-think-that-s-righteous-i-think-that-s-what-parents-want-to-know/) [Margaret Spellings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-spellings/) > [I used to tell my graduate students at Stanford, 'Don't worry about what job you have to pick because your job picks you. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-used-to-tell-my-graduate-students-at-stanford-don-t-worry-about/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I think the biggest mistake most people make when they pick their first job is they don't worry enough about whether they'll love the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-think-the-biggest-mistake-most-people-make-when-they-pick-their/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [“thinking about the misery of the world is a favourite contemporary occupation. and if you can't think the television set will think for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/thinking-about-the-misery-of-the-world-is-a-favourite-contemporary/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Dejection of spirits, which may have prevented many a man from becoming an author, made me one. I find constant employment necessary, and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/dejection-of-spirits-which-may-have-prevented-many-a-man-from/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [A man has always been seen as someone who works hard and has a full-time occupation. I think women should have the same opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/a-man-has-always-been-seen-as-someone-who-works-hard-and-has-a-full/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The Concord Coalition in Virginia complained about pork projects and wasteful spending in the federal budget. Consider the Senate chaplain's salary. As occupations go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/the-concord-coalition-in-virginia-complained-about-pork-projects-and/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [I don't think one parent can raise a child. I don't think two parents can raise a child. You really need the whole village.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-don-t-think-one-parent-can-raise-a-child-i-don-t-think-two-parents/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I had a pretty well-adjusted style of parenting. I think my parents were very young, very open. I think I learned many things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/i-had-a-pretty-well-adjusted-style-of-parenting-i-think-my-parents/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [I think my parents see my life now as very conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-mitchell/i-think-my-parents-see-my-life-now-as-very-conservative/) [Radha Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-mitchell/) > [I think my parents loved who they raised. I think they hated how they had to do it. I know for a fact, they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hart/i-think-my-parents-loved-who-they-raised-i-think-they-hated-how-they/) [Josh Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hart/) > [I think my parents recognised that I'd always wanted to be a writer, and so they didn't think that this was some idle, faddish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-think-my-parents-recognised-that-i-d-always-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) ## More by Henry Louis Gates > [In Ethiopia, the black people became Christians 1700 years ago, hundreds of years before Northern Europe turned to Christianity... And here, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-ethiopia-the-black-people-became-christians-1700-years-ago/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/politicians-will-not-put-forth-programs-aimed-at-the-problems-of-poor/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I'm a tech geek. Whenever I read about something new, I think to myself, How can I take this and make it black?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-m-a-tech-geek-whenever-i-read-about-something-new-i-think-to-myself/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-think-that-the-implication-of-king-s-assassination-has-not-been/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I want to be remembered as someone who tried to bring the story of our ancestors to the broadest possible audience. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-want-to-be-remembered-as-someone-who-tried-to-bring-the-story-of/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-1957-when-i-was-in-second-grade-black-children-integrated-central/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Since the day Martin Luther King was killed, the black middle classes have almost quadrupled, but the percentage of black children living on or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/since-the-day-martin-luther-king-was-killed-the-black-middle-classes/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Diversity doesn't mean black and white only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/diversity-doesn-t-mean-black-and-white-only/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/because-lincoln-is-so-closely-identified-with-what-it-is-to-be/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [My grandfather was coloured, my father was Negro, and I am Black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/my-grandfather-was-coloured-my-father-was-negro-and-i-am-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/wherever-you-go-in-the-history-of-america-there-have-been-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The act of writing for the slave constituted the act of creating a public, historical self, not only the self of the individual author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-act-of-writing-for-the-slave-constituted-the-act-of-creating-a/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/you-can-say-i-had-a-severe-case-of-roots-envy-i-wanted-to-be-like/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In America one drop of black ancestry makes you black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-america-one-drop-of-black-ancestry-makes-you-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) [Explore all 169 Henry Louis Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## More Career quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [There are so many things you can do with your life, you can go to school and study toward your career, you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/there-are-so-many-things-you-can-do-with-your-life-you-can-go-to/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [“The vocation of a man lies in his vision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-vocation-of-a-man-lies-in-his-vision/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) > [You can have a career and kids who love you. But you have to nurture yourself and find a way to be fulfilled so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/you-can-have-a-career-and-kids-who-love-you-but-you-have-to-nurture/) [Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Even though I'm already successful and have a career, it is always good to have your eggs in more than one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-abraham/even-though-i-m-already-successful-and-have-a-career-it-is-always/) [Farrah Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-abraham/) [Browse all 11,387 Career quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You should not pick an occupation because your think your parents want you to do it, or because you think it's the noble thing to do. 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