Throw Passion Out the Window
A recent Harris survey found only 45% of workers report they feel satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. And only 20% of people say they are passionate about the work they do every day. But in college classrooms and career counseling sessions, we frequently hear the question “What are you passionate about?” Motivational posters hung artfully in offices encourage you to “Follow your passion.”
Yet as Susan Arsht, assistant professor of management at Westminster College, said, it’s actually irresponsible (and impossible) to encourage every person to follow their passion. The fundamental function of our society relies on some jobs that people are not likely to be passionate about, or their passion may be outside their employment. Instead, she said, if you don’t have a passion, then cultivate curiosity.
“I’ve seen someone cry because they felt like they were broken because they didn’t have the passion they’d been told they were supposed to have.”
“I’ve seen someone cry because they felt like they were broken because they didn’t have the passion they’d been told they were supposed to have,” Susan said. “They think they’re missing something. It stops them in their tracks. For me, getting curious relieves the sense of panic that I have to be passionate about something.”
Getting curious gives you the freedom and flexibility to pivot when your interest changes. If you are passionate about something but find that you don’t enjoy it, aren’t as talented as you hoped, or if you lack the feeling of “passion” all together, there comes a sense of disappointment that feels a lot like failure.
She cites Carol Dweck’s groundbreaking research on whether passions are discovered or developed, which concluded that “urging people to find their passion may lead them to put all their eggs in one basket but then to drop that basket when it becomes difficult to carry.”
“For some people, if they feel they have to be passionate about something, there is a level of commitment that is scary for them,” Susan explained.
Curiosity—in the workplace and beyond
Susan says leadership requires curiosity, and the best leaders exhibit authentic curiosity about their employees and their wellbeing. And this curiosity leads to more cohesive and impactful teams.
“Any time you can connect, you have furthered your ability to create community,” she said. “Creating community and connecting with each other is the oil that makes the engine work. It greases the wheels. But you can’t fake connection in service to leadership, it has to be genuine.”
“How does it feel when your sense of purpose, your curiosity, and your day-to-day work are misaligned?”
How do you know when you’ve found yourself in a passion (or curiosity) drought? How does it feel when your sense of purpose, your curiosity, and your day-to-day work are misaligned?
“From my own experience, there is a sense of boredom,” Susan said. “A sense of ‘what else is out there?’ I start going down other rabbit holes, because I’m curious about something else and I just can’t stop myself.”
If you find yourself scrolling through different job opportunities, looking up graduate programs, or deep-diving into Wikipedia research on a certain topic—this could be a sign that you had stagnated in your current path and your curiosity has been sparked toward a new one.
Tips for tapping into your curiosity
Approach everything with an open mind. There are always ways to innovate your current modes of operation, and innovation requires curiosity. Ask yourself why things are done the way they are done, what could be better, and how you could do them differently. Exploring old topics with a new mindset often uncovers unexpected ideas.
Find ways to engage your curiosity in your current position. As a professor, Susan doesn’t force her students to write on a specific topic (most of the time). “I know more than I would ever know personally about skydiving because I’ve had several students write very eloquently and profoundly about it,” she said. “I had no interest in skydiving, but I could relate to them better because of my own excitement about other activities, like skiing or climbing in the mountains.”
Ask yourself about your non-negotiables—what about your current situation do you need to keep? What do you need to change? And what things in the middle are flexible? These elements could include your pay, the way you interact with your manager, your work-life balance, what you’re learning on the job, and more.
Use fear as a motivator. As Susan says in the fourth episode of 92,000 Hours, fear can sometimes be a motivator. “When I’m scared, that’s when I know I have to do something,” she said. Fear means you are stretching yourself and your comfort zone. Get curious about what that means, what your body is telling you through your physiological response, and then challenge yourself to become a new, better version of yourself.