To succeed, do not follow your passion
- Gurvinder Singh
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Passion should follow Talent.
It is fashionable to encourage people to 'follow their passion'. This is a flawed approach, and here is why.
Passion is that unquenchable emotional fire that is usually born out of experiencing joy, suffering and deprivation. Passion triggers a strong desire to change our situation and our world to fit our expectations. To achieve that successfully, we need to rely on our strengths and talents.
Passion demands expression and action, but passion is static and blind; it needs to become dynamic with direction, powered by capacity and requisite capabilities.
Success cannot be achieved merely by being passionate about something. We also need talent, intelligence, knowledge, skill, cunning, ruthlessness and a dash of luck to succeed.
Everyone has some talent or another, but few know what they are. Therefore, one has to explore and gather experiences, achieve successes and encounter failures to discover what talents we possess. We will know what our talents are when we discover an ability to hit a target that others cannot easily hit.
An intelligent person usually discovers and learns rather quickly, 'what he does not know'. The next most important learning a talented person has to develop is the ability to know how to learn, how and where to obtain information, and find people who possess and are willing to impart the requisite knowledge.
This is why constant learning, unlearning and relearning are important. Before you dash off to find a teacher, remember to make a distinction between learning and teaching. A teacher cannot make us learn; he or she can only assist in discovery and hence facilitate learning by the student.
Learning comes from reading, observing, discussing, debating, practising, writing, travelling, etc. So we have to do all these things and even more to learn.
Intelligence is inherited, knowledge is acquired, talent is discovered, skill is developed, and passion is born from circumstances and experience.
Skill is the marriage between our knowledge and talents (our natural abilities) to pursue goals and obtain desired results. While talent is latent, knowledge is passive, and skill becomes the driver necessary for success.
Passion is the intensity we feel for something. The greater the passion, more the driving force we come to possess and the more ruthless we become.
Ruthlessness is not necessarily bad. It is merely the disconnection of emotions from the intellect, imparting the ability to be objective about achieving whatever goals one chooses. This is why successful people often tend to appear cold and unemotional.
This is why to be successful and happy, it is better not to follow our passion but to be passionate about skillfully deploying our talents.
Passion, though expressed outwardly, is born within us. In spite of the best efforts of parents, teachers and leaders, passion cannot be infused from the outside.
Lecturing may show us a doorway, but it is passion that causes us to cross the threshold. It is the cocktail of passion, talent, skill, knowledge and cunning that allows us to proceed to success.
There is something more to be said, and that is about 'cunning'.
We all live in socio-political-economic societies. Meaning we are rarely alone, nor do our actions go unnoticed by others. The journey of life is littered with obstacles and barriers, some natural and circumstantial, but most deliberately created by others, that must be surmounted for us to be successful. One has to compete for resources and opportunities. This is why, to succeed, one also needs to be cunning. Cunning is different from being smart or clever. Cunning is the ability to assume the worst possible behaviour, scenario and outcomes, be proactive and remain guarded to forestall any misfortune.
Cunning is bad only if deployed for unworthy actions and goals.
In the material world, naivety and innocence are self-defeating. That is why we also need cunning to achieve success.
Nature is harsh, it will never support the weak. There is much impurity and evil that exists in some humans. In the material world, to innocently consider all humans as harmless or posing no danger is a recipe for failure. One can be cunning and yet be honourable, honest and noble.
Unfortunately, few of us expose our children to these aspects so essential for success and peace of mind. We should make the young aware not only of goodness but also of the reality and ugly aspects of life. To help them develop the ability to detect evil and bad, to avoid, bypass, surmount and cope effectively with situations as needed. This is where cunning plays an important role.
Cunning and ruthlessness may be essential in the material world. However, there is no place for cunning in relationships between friends, family and associates. Once we lose the trust of others, no amount of intelligence, knowledge, skill, passion or talent will help us succeed.
Interesting Links:
‘Follow Your Passion’ Is The Worst Career Advice—Here’s Why ~ Forbes
Learning to Learn ~ Guru Wonder
What does teaching mean? ~ Guru Wonder
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