The Flaws of Following Your Passion

Following your passion is often misleading, as it can create a backward causation where people assume they must have a passion before achieving success. Instead, passion typically develops after gaining competence in a skill through deliberate practice. For instance, research by Angela Duckworth identifies that grit—a key driver of success—emerges when individuals stumble upon interests, practice them, recognize their value, and subsequently cultivate a deeper passion. Therefore, true passion is often a product of expertise rather than a prerequisite for it.