--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Follow your passion” is bad advice. I…" description: "\"“Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this conclusion after spending a year researching a basic question: What makes people love what they do ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_bad-advice_follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-i-reac_304859.jpg" --- # Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this… ![“Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this conclusion after spending a year researching a basic question: What makes people love what they do for a living? This research turned up two strikes against the idea of following passion. First, it turns out that few people have pre-existing…” quote by Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_bad-advice_follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-i-reac_304859.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_bad-advice_follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-i-reac_304859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_bad-advice_follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-i-reac_304859.jpg) > ““Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this conclusion after spending a year researching a basic question: What makes people love what they do for a living? This research turned up two strikes against the idea of following passion. First, it turns out that few people have pre-existing passions that they can match to a job. Telling them to “follow their passion,” therefore, is a recipe for anxiety and failure.”” [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Following passion is unreliable; most lack pre‑existing passions, leading to anxiety. **In simple terms:** Passion advice often fails. Key Takeaway Focus on skills and opportunities rather than vague passion. Themes career psychology motivation Mood thoughtful critical Type career psychology When to use this quote - job search - skill building - career counseling - personal reflection Key Concepts self‑determination theory career development Questions to Reflect On - What activities give you flow? - How can you align strengths with work? A Different Perspective Passion can emerge from mastery; dismissing it entirely may limit fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-advice/) [Follow your passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-your-passion/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) ## Related quotes > [“The passion hypothesis is not just wrong, it’s also dangerous. Telling someone to “follow their passion” is not just an act of innocent optimism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-passion-hypothesis-is-not-just-wrong-it-s-also-dangerous-telling/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Telling someone to “follow their passion” is not just an act of innocent optimism, but potentially the foundation for a career riddled with confusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/telling-someone-to-follow-their-passion-is-not-just-an-act-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“People use to say that we should follow our passion. We should do what gives us utmost pleasure. But from my experience, what i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovely-goyal/people-use-to-say-that-we-should-follow-our-passion-we-should-do-what/) [Lovely Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lovely-goyal/) > [“Compelling careers often have complex origins that reject the simple idea that all you have to do is follow your passion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/compelling-careers-often-have-complex-origins-that-reject-the-simple/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Very wealthy people often want to talk to broke artists about what it's like to try to follow your passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/very-wealthy-people-often-want-to-talk-to-broke-artists-about-what-it/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [Follow your passion, follow your dreams, but most of all follow your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/follow-your-passion-follow-your-dreams-but-most-of-all-follow-your/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I want to say to all the young women out there, as I say to all young people: believe in yourselves, follow your passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marin-alsop/i-want-to-say-to-all-the-young-women-out-there-as-i-say-to-all-young/) Marin Alsop > [Follow your passion and you'll be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-ludwig/follow-your-passion-and-you-ll-be-successful/) Duane Ludwig > [Passion always finds a way. Follow your passion and everything else will work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/passion-always-finds-a-way-follow-your-passion-and-everything-else/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [The distance between your dream and reality is called action. Follow your passion and face your fear. The rewards are awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-distance-between-your-dream-and-reality-is-called-action-follow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You gotta follow your passion in life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-gow/you-gotta-follow-your-passion-in-life/) [Kailin Gow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-gow/) > [“RULE #1 Don’t Follow Your Passion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/rule-1-don-t-follow-your-passion/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Follow your passion, we’re often told. But how do you find your passion? Let me put it another way: what is it that breaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/follow-your-passion-we-re-often-told-but-how-do-you-find-your-passion/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [The key to success is to be honest, follow your passion and not someone else's path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urvashi-rautela/the-key-to-success-is-to-be-honest-follow-your-passion-and-not/) [Urvashi Rautela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urvashi-rautela/) > [If you follow your passion, you'll never work a day in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/if-you-follow-your-passion-you-ll-never-work-a-day-in-your-life/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) ## More by Jocelyn K. Glei > [“We are all works in progress. Each day presents an opportunity to learn more, do more, be more, and grow more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/we-are-all-works-in-progress-each-day-presents-an-opportunity-to/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Truly great creative achievements require hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work, and we have to make time every single day to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/truly-great-creative-achievements-require-hundreds-if-not-thousands/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“continuous partial attention,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/continuous-partial-attention/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“99U’s Manage Your Day-to-Day assembles insights around four key skill sets you must master to succeed: building a rock-solid daily routine, taming your tools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/99u-s-manage-your-day-to-day-assembles-insights-around-four-key-skill/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“All of the most fulfilled people I know focus more on the quality of their connections than the quantity of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/all-of-the-most-fulfilled-people-i-know-focus-more-on-the-quality-of/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“people have a really bad habit of coming in and checking e-mail first thing in the morning. And for many people, the morning is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/people-have-a-really-bad-habit-of-coming-in-and-checking-e-mail-first/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“when folks want to talk creativity, what they’re really seeking is help with execution, ways to take action more effectively.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/when-folks-want-to-talk-creativity-what-they-re-really-seeking-is/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“THE MULTITASKING MYTH Studies show that the human mind can only truly multitask when it comes to highly automatic behaviors like walking. For activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-multitasking-myth-studies-show-that-the-human-mind-can-only-truly/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“The next time you experience a creative block, resist the temptation to doubt yourself, or to put in more blind effort. Stop and ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-next-time-you-experience-a-creative-block-resist-the-temptation/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/what-i-do-every-day-matters-more-than-what-i-do-once-in-a-while/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“The idea that the best way to communicate with people is 24/7 is not really an idea about maximizing productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-idea-that-the-best-way-to-communicate-with-people-is-24-7-is-not/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Limit your daily to-do list. A 3” × 3” Post-it is perfect—if you can’t fit everything on a list that size, how will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/limit-your-daily-to-do-list-a-3-3-post-it-is-perfect-if-you-can-t-fit/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“I never schedule meetings in the morning, if I can avoid it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/i-never-schedule-meetings-in-the-morning-if-i-can-avoid-it/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“For his book Willpower, psychologist Roy Baumeister analyzed findings from hundreds of experiments to determine why some people can retain focus for hours, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/for-his-book-willpower-psychologist-roy-baumeister-analyzed-findings/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Don’t wait for inspiration; create a framework for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/don-t-wait-for-inspiration-create-a-framework-for-it/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) [Explore all 114 Jocelyn K. Glei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) ## More Bad advice quotes > [“Do you know what he told me after lying under a cliff for thirty six hours with two inches of his femur sticking out?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/do-you-know-what-he-told-me-after-lying-under-a-cliff-for-thirty-six/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [I wish I could tell you to always follow your heart, but I think it is bad advice. You have a heart, yes, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-wish-i-could-tell-you-to-always-follow-your-heart-but-i-think-it-is/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“Don't overreact. For example, if someone inadvertently embarrasses you in public, don't let anger get the best of you. It really isn't necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rubino-jr/don-t-overreact-for-example-if-someone-inadvertently-embarrasses-you/) Anthony Rubino Jr > [It seems that bad advice that's fun will always be better known than than good advice that's dull-no matter how useless that fun advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/it-seems-that-bad-advice-that-s-fun-will-always-be-better-known-than/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [“Even though we have all had experiences of feeling distant from God, the Dark Night of the Senses is a particular experience with identifiable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-thomas-ashbrook/even-though-we-have-all-had-experiences-of-feeling-distant-from-god/) [R. Thomas Ashbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-thomas-ashbrook/) > [“Head tilted, Lou looked at her curiously. “Are you… are you trying to appeal to my conscience?” He snorted. “That inner voice gave up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-wright/head-tilted-lou-looked-at-her-curiously-are-you-are-you-trying-to/) [Suzanne Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-wright/) > [There are as many forms of advice as there are colors of the rainbow. Remember that good advice can come from bad people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/there-are-as-many-forms-of-advice-as-there-are-colors-of-the-rainbow/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“Talking to Reva about misery was insufferable. 'Look on the bright side,' was what she wanted everyone to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/talking-to-reva-about-misery-was-insufferable-look-on-the-bright-side/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [Ill customs and bad advice are seldom forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/ill-customs-and-bad-advice-are-seldom-forgotten/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I know how hard authors work on their books and how far out of their element many are when it comes to doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/i-know-how-hard-authors-work-on-their-books-and-how-far-out-of-their/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Seeking an acquisition from the start is more than just bad advice for an entrepreneur. For the entrepreneur it leads to short term tactical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/seeking-an-acquisition-from-the-start-is-more-than-just-bad-advice/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Fun prank: Replace a firetruck's water supply with gasoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jugi-steady/fun-prank-replace-a-firetruck-s-water-supply-with-gasoline/) [Jugi Steady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jugi-steady/) > [“And…Dawn?” “Yes?” “Be careful.” “Be careful dancing?” He smiled. “The way you dance, that wouldn’t be bad advice.” Then he lost the smile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-adams/and-dawn-yes-be-careful-be-careful-dancing-he-smiled-the-way-you/) [Ada Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-adams/) > [It will never lie to you, never leave you, and never give you bad advice. It is a tax free gift given to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-williams/it-will-never-lie-to-you-never-leave-you-and-never-give-you-bad/) Julie Williams > [“One day at a time. Maybe it wasn't such bad advice. Despite what she'd learned in childhood, change could be good, right? If she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-hunter/one-day-at-a-time-maybe-it-wasn-t-such-bad-advice-despite-what-she-d/) [Denise Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-hunter/) [Browse all 77 Bad advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this conclusion after spending a year researching a basic question: What makes people love what they do for a living? This research turned up two strikes against the idea of following passion. First, it turns out that few people have pre-existing passions that they can match to a job. 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