“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe smacked down the popular advice to “follow your passion,” explaining that passion and ability often have nothing to do with each other.
In a video for PragerU, a website dedicated to explaining American values, Rowe said that when people follow their passion, they miss out on all kinds of other opportunities they didn’t know existed.
“If we’re talking about your hobby, by all means, let your passion lead you,” he said. “But when it comes to making a living it’s easy to forget the dirty truth: Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean you won’t suck at it. And just because you’ve earned a degree in your chosen field, it doesn’t mean you’re going to find your ‘dream job.'”
Rowe explained that many people chase after dreams and, as a result, have no chance of finding meaningful work or developing a genuine passion for the jobs they already have.
“Dream jobs are usually just that — dreams,” he said.
This bad advice to “follow your passion” is reflected in the current job market, he said. Many graduates are having a tough time finding jobs in their field of study, while employers are struggling to fill 5.8 million jobs that no one is trained to do.
“Your happiness on the job has very little to do with the work itself,” he said. “Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you.”
