--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, figuring out what you like to…" description: "\"“Of course, figuring out what you like to work on doesn't mean you get to work on it. That's a separate question. And if you're ambitious you have to k..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/paul-graham-7010_artist_of-course-figuring-out-what-you-like-to_2515149.jpg" --- # Of course, figuring out what you like to work on doesn't… ![“Of course, figuring out what you like to work on doesn't mean you get to work on it. That's a separate question. And if you're ambitious you have to keep them separate: you have to make a conscious effort to keep your ideas about what you want from being contaminated by what seems possible. It's…” quote by Paul Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/paul-graham-7010_artist_of-course-figuring-out-what-you-like-to_2515149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/paul-graham-7010_artist_of-course-figuring-out-what-you-like-to_2515149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/paul-graham-7010_artist_of-course-figuring-out-what-you-like-to_2515149.jpg) > ““Of course, figuring out what you like to work on doesn't mean you get to work on it. That's a separate question. And if you're ambitious you have to keep them separate: you have to make a conscious effort to keep your ideas about what you want from being contaminated by what seems possible. It's painful to keep them apart, because it's painful to observe the gap between them. So most people pre-emptively lower their expectations. For example, if you asked random people on the street if they'd like to be able to draw like Leonardo, you'd find most would say something like "Oh, I can't draw." This is more a statement of intention than fact; it means, I'm not going to try. Because the fact is, if you took a random person off the street and somehow got them to work as hard as they possibly could at drawing for the next twenty years, they'd get surprisingly far. But it would require a great moral effort; it would mean staring failure in the eye every day for years. And so to protect themselves people say "I can't.”” [Paul Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-graham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Passion and ability are separate; we must guard our aspirations from realistic constraints, even though effort can bridge the gap. **In simple terms:** Desire and skill differ; protect your dreams from doubt. Key Takeaway Guard your ambitions, work hard despite doubts. Themes ambition self‑discipline psychology effort Mood determined reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - skill development - long‑term goals Key Concepts growth mindset self‑efficacy cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance realistic assessment with bold ambition? - What habits help you resist self‑limiting beliefs? A Different Perspective Effort alone may not overcome structural barriers or innate limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) ## Related quotes > [“If I can write, who possibly can’t. Even drawing a line in the sand is writing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-i-can-write-who-possibly-can-t-even-drawing-a-line-in-the-sand-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Everybody is ambitious. 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We never see any bad press about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-schulz/i-would-want-like-leonardo-dicaprio-s-dirt-because-he-doesn-t-have/) [Andrew Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-schulz/) > [“Edwin Land of Polaroid talked about the intersection of the humanities and science. I like that intersection. There's something magical about that place. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/edwin-land-of-polaroid-talked-about-the-intersection-of-the/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“If we want to be more like Leonardo, we have to be fearless about changing our minds based on new information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-we-want-to-be-more-like-leonardo-we-have-to-be-fearless-about/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The dilemma is this. 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This is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-graham/so-the-optimal-plan-if-you-can-manage-it-is-to-have-a-few-trusted/) [Paul Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-graham/) > [“Public school teachers are in much the same position as prison wardens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-graham/public-school-teachers-are-in-much-the-same-position-as-prison-wardens/) [Paul Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-graham/) [Explore all 94 Paul Graham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-graham/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Of course, figuring out what you like to work on doesn't mean you get to work on it. That's a separate question. And if you're ambitious you have to keep them separate: you have to make a conscious effort to keep your ideas about what you want from being contaminated by what seems possible. It's painful to keep them apart, because it's painful to observe the gap between them. So most people pre-emptively lower their expectations. For example, if you asked random people on the street if they'd like to be able to draw like Leonardo, you'd find most would say something like \"Oh, I can't draw.\" This is more a statement of intention than fact; it means, I'm not going to try. Because the fact is, if you took a random person off the street and somehow got them to work as hard as they possibly could at drawing for the next twenty years, they'd get surprisingly far. But it would require a great moral effort; it would mean staring failure in the eye every day for years. 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