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<title><![CDATA[Comments for entry "Follow your Passion?" at Dilbert.com Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/893]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Regular thoughts and updates from Dilbert.com]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from phoen1x]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/2033724]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[This is why I come to read - truth and honestly.  Brilliant - best.  article. ever.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Admiral]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/2002945]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Success is based on exactly two factors, perseverance and luck.  It's a sliding scale.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from rxantos]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/2002834]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[To Scott Adams:
Define success.

For you it seems success is making more money. If the Sport Store guys makes enough money to live and is happy doing what he does he is more successful than the dry cleaning guy that makes more money but hates his business.

Hateful (but profitable) jobs and business should be thought as a stepping stone. Not a destination. 

Irrelevant of how much money you make, Is pretty stupid living life doing something you hate. If its temporarily then is acceptable, even wise, if its permanent then you are an idiot.

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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from lmalinofsky]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/2001706]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[The best salesman I ever knew may or may not have had passion for sales, but he really loved his customers, and was authentically grateful for every order he wrote.  It really felt like he was a sincere friend.  And maybe that's how he felt.

I think this was an important factor in his success, and I think it is &quot;passion&quot; in this sense that is a true predictor of success. The commercial lender mentioned in the entry was either very wrong, or what he really meant was never lend to a person who has only enthusiasm for what he/she wants to do without having a heart that's in the right place.  If that is what he meant, and I kind of think it was, then he expressed himself  badly... when he said &quot;passion&quot; he really meant mere fascination or infatuation.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from hungrylobster]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/2000569]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[&quot;Everything else being equal, one is passionate and possesses average talent, while the other is exceedingly brilliant, full of energy, and highly determined to succeed.&quot;

Not a fair comparison - how about two exceedingly brilliant, full of energy, and highly-determined entrepreneur, and only one is passionate. I bet on him or her every time.


Also just because you shouldn't write a check to someone following their passion doesn't mean you should encourage that person to do something else entirely. It depends whose perspective you view it from. Banks won't lend to passionate people because they want to mitigate risk as much as possible. But if you are passionate you can find funding from other sources -- e.g families, friends, and fools (VCs included). And when you do I would argue that you will be more driven than somebody just working for an income stream.

Unless of course making money is your greatest passion. In which case that person wins.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from whtllnew]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1998525]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@GLK

[...we tend to put successful businesspeople on a pedestal as if they are somehow better than the rest of us mere mortals....]

You might say that.  You might also say that some of us do that while others expect too much from businesspeople.  That some of us forget they're human, focus on their faults and go on about how awful they are.

[...But history shows that the vast majority of these people are never able to repeat their initial success...]

This sound about right to you Scott?]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMCSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from GLK]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1998480]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[As a former small business owner I'd say you hit the bull's-eye on this one Scott. People always say you should make your hobby your business. I say, that's a good way to ruin a perfectly good hobby. A very wise (and rich) old man once told me we tend to put successful businesspeople on a pedestal as if they are somehow better than the rest of us mere mortals. We hang on every word they say as if somehow their wisdom will rub off. But history shows that the vast majority of these people are never able to repeat their initial success. Once they have money to invest in other projects they might score a few victories here and there but by and large they never repeat what made them wildly successful in the first place. That would seem to indicate that timing and luck have as much to do with success as any special acumen they possess.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Drowlord]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1998398]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[[Delius 1967] &quot;I've spent almost my entire career in software testing, because NOTHING bothers me more than a poorly designed or implemented product. When I see a stupid bug, it actually, no exaggeration, makes me angry. I reserve special ire for GUIs that seem to go out of their way to be hard to use. Low quality offends me, in a very personal sense, because it is a symptom of someone who doesn't care enough to do his job correctly.&quot;

Well, you and I have some things in common there.  I used to be proud of calling myself a programmer, but in recent years I've come to the realization that I don't really like being herded in with that crowd.  There's a serious giving-a-crap issue across the entire software development profession.  I think it's an epidemic among 20's and early 30's workers, though, not just people in software.  You're lucky to get more than an hour or two of work out of them in a day, and it's always spurious CYA work.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from RavenBlack]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1998085]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Your two arguments against passion rather contradict one another. &quot;If I was good at X I'd probably be passionate about X&quot; you say at the end, but surely even if the cause and effect are reversed like that, then banks would still want to invest in passionate people because those would be the people who are good at what they intend to do.

This conflict is resolved by our old pal the Dunning Kruger effect - it's not &quot;if I was good at X I'd be passionate about X&quot;, but rather &quot;if I *thought* I was good at X I'd be passionate about X.&quot; And now it absolutely makes sense not to invest in that guy.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from j_l_Larson]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1997978]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I wonder if this theory can be applied to the whole &quot;positive thinking&quot; conventional wisdom prescription.  I've often felt that this can lead to a demented fear of anything not positive.   Taken to its logical conclusion, it becomes complete thought censorship.  That and the notion that repeating mantras to oneself like &quot;every day in every way I'm getting better and better.&quot;  Well, it turns you into a deluded half-human who lives in a state of denial with horsey blinders on.   The sort of person who can't look at the dark side of anything, including themselves.   I think conscientious and balanced self reflection  is a better idea.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from CliffClaven]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1997105]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Another thing is whether you're passionate about the work or something that goes with it. A passion to be a rock star is not the same as a passion to play. The former brands you a failure the moment you articulate it. The latter MIGHT lead to working an agreeable day job, which allows you to play every weekend in a small lounge. 

Likewise, a passion for a product is not the same as a passion (or competence) for the work of creating/selling it. Think of Jack Black in &quot;High Fidelity,&quot; ripping into a prospective record store customer with inferior tastes. Or all the kids who want to go into computer games with a vague notion they'll get paid for playing all the time and sharing their Cool Ideas with whoever does the actual work.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from LovingSpain]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996995]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Loan officers do not typically do entrepreneurial ventures - they fund business systems with collateralized loans with a 3 year track record. steady as you go - not much passion needed.

A loan officer has no great upside if a simple project grows big.  As long as the loan gets paid, he's okay.  If the loan goes delinquent, he's in big trouble.  His tolerance for risk is low.  An equity investor, particularly a private investor funding a new business, can only lose what he invests, but if the project goes big, he can hit a home run.  He doesn't want to lose money and he does his homework, but his risk tolerance is much greater.

The example you used is confusing to me. This is not an either/or situation. I would argue that passion makes you â€œfull of energy AND determined to succeedâ€.  So then, from your example, the difference between the two entrepreneurs is intelligence. Ok, so how do we measure that? GPA? IQ? Do all CEOs have stellar GPAâ€™s? In fact, many of them, including Bill Gates, did marginally in school. The fellow who founded Fedex got a C at Harvard Business school and was told his ideas had no merit. Good thing he believed in himself.

What about inherent talent and/or skills? I would love to be an acrobat but can I tumble? Not really. I donâ€™t have the inherent talent to do those things. On the other hand, skills are usually defined as something you can learn, so if I had some inherent talent and enough passion,  I might spend 20 hours/day tumbling until I got it right.

You show your own definition of success.. a billionaire. Do you have to be a billionaire to be successful?

I agree with your closing sentence but I would say desire = passion. Passion will influence hard work, determination and appetite for risk. Brains we already covered. And Luck! Most people wonâ€™t admit that they had some luck or good timing. Not to mention support or assistance. Bill Gatesâ€™ father was an investment attorney who helped him tremendously and other entrepreneurs such as the CEO of Starbucks. Both of those entrepreneurs were â€œluckyâ€ to have access to Mr. Gates Sr. 

Recently, I read that the game â€œAngry Birdsâ€ was the companyâ€™s 53rd product! Thomas Edison worked on over 1,000 iterations of the light bulb before he invented it. He was not dissuaded by skeptics because of his passion.

In sum, I think that it all comes down to your personal definition of success. And only you know that. and passion can get you there.




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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JonS111]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996994]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Lending is a funny example because lenders don't care how successful somebody is - as long as the borrower is successful enough that they can pay back their loans.  Fantastic success doesn't matter because the lender doesn't see that.  So while I as an entrepeneur would much rather be fantastically successful than moderately successful, and might rationally risk failure for the sake of fantastic success, my lender doesn't care.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JuliaMac65]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996945]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, I am a career coach (someone who followed their passion...) and here is my take.

First, this article is funny coming from someone who left a corporate career to become a cartoonist. Scott Adams was successful because he was practical about it. He worked a day job and did his â€œcartooningâ€ at night until he reached a point where he had lined things up enough to make the jump. I always advise my clients to have a plan and be practical. Of course, a loan officer wouldnâ€™t give a loan to someone with just passion and no business plan. 

Second, his example below is confusing to me. This is not an either/or situation. I would argue that passion makes you â€œfull of energy AND determined to succeedâ€.  So then, from his example, the difference between the two entrepreneurs is intelligence. Ok, so how do we measure that? GPA? IQ? Do all CEOs have stellar GPAâ€™s? In fact, many of them, including Bill Gates, did marginally or left school early. The fellow who founded Fedex got a C- at Harvard Business school and was told his ideas had no merit. Good thing he was passionate.

Consider two entrepreneurs. Everything else being equal, one is passionate and possesses average talent, while the other is exceedingly brilliant, full of energy, and highly determined to succeed. Which one do you bet on?

Thirdly, what about inherent talent and/or skills? I would love to be a cartoonist, acrobat or stuntman (in my next life), but can I draw, tumble or flip over cars? Not really. I donâ€™t have the inherent talent to do those things. On the other hand, skills are usually defined as something you can learn, so if I had some inherent talent and enough passion,  I might spend 20 hours/day tumbling until I got it right.

With his example below, he shows his own bias for his definition of success.. a billionaire. Do you have to be a billionaire to be successful? 

If you ask a billionaire the secret of his success, he might say it is passion, because that sounds like a sexy answer that is suitably humble. But after a few drinks I think he'd say his success was a combination of desire, luck, hard work, determination, brains, and appetite for risk.

I agree with his closing sentence but I would say desire = passion. Passion will influence hard work, determination and appetite for risk. Brains we already covered. And Luck! Most people wonâ€™t admit that they had some luck or good timing, even him. Not to mention support systems/assistance. Bill Gatesâ€™ father was an investment attorney who helped him tremendously and other entrepreneurs such as the CEO of Starbucks. Both of those entrepreneurs were â€œluckyâ€ to have access to Mr. Gates Sr. Wasnâ€™t Dilbert lucky enough to be working at PacBell under a stupid boss that gave him the material for his comic strip!! 

Recently, I read that the game â€œAngry Birdsâ€ was the companyâ€™s 53rd product! Thomas Edison worked on over 1,000 iterations of the light bulb before he invented it. He was not dissuaded by skeptics because of his passion.

I have been told by very experienced career counselors that passion trumps inherent ability every time because people donâ€™t give up.

In sum, as Jay pointed out, I think that it all comes down to your personal definition of success. And only you know that. 

And over these last few years, I have met enough people who followed their passion and made it work for them!
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from sergiocarvalho]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996935]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Who is right? Both. The question is not well defined. An observational bias is in effect here. Passionate founders are more likely to fail, because they are more likely to make big bets. However, because of these big bets, when they do succeed, they will succeed spectacularly. 

So, if you observe from the perspective of &quot;are poster-child startups led by passionate founders&quot;, you'll reach the conclusion that they are indeed led by passionate founders. If you look from the perspective of &quot;are startups led by passionate founders likely to succeed&quot;, you'll find that your bank manager was right: they are not likely to succeed.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JohnMack]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996931]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[What about &quot;You can be anything tou want to be.&quot;? I usually add &quot;provided employers or lenders or professors and other people you have to negotiate with agree.&quot;]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Fastidious]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996929]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I think they're both right.  Following your passion is a great recipe for success - so is not getting into debt.  If you can identify your dream and follow it long enough you will be successful.  Certainly in life, but you will probably make out okay financially as well.

Debt forces you to turn your passion into a profit within a certain time frame.  Often before you are ready.  If Scott had taken out a loan and quit his day job to write Dilbert in the early days, he probably would have failed.  But because he followed his passion on the side, and kept on grinding - we all get to enjoy Dilbert.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from CarynElizabeth]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996927]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Passion has nothing to do with success. Why do I say that? Let me tell you why! 1. Success is a state of mind. &quot;It's the progressive realization of a worthy ideal&quot;. It's 98% attitude and 2 % action. 

In a job, you are paid to get work done. Do you love your job? Probably NOT! It's not what you want to do but it pays the bills. You'd rather have your own business, be in control of your life, the hours in the day! If you don't own your own business, you will NEVER have the passion you would have &quot;creating&quot; your own thing! 
Most people learn a job and do it to pay their bills. They lose their creativity for the sake of &quot;doing what they are told to do&quot;.. File bills, finish the project, manage their staff, etc.. 
A truly passionate person finds it stressful to live someone else's dream while their dream is left on the shelf.. 
Are you passonate about doing your JOB? Well, the only way I can see that being true, is when the result gets you what you want! Recognition! If we are not recognized for our work by others, we will not be passionate about doing it! 
That is why many have turned to creating their own businesses as entrepreneurs! They long to control their own lives! Will they succeed? Well what is success to them may be to have &quot;peace of mind, control of their time, freedom to think what they want&quot;.. All these things are the ultimate successes people are after! Everything else is short of that ultimate quest! 
Passion have little to do with success. 
BUT living the life you are passionate to live has everything to do with feeling like you are a success!]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from delius1967]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996926]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[[Drowlord] &quot;Thing is... I HATE QA testing. I despise it. It's the worst job in software, imo. People have quoted me as having &quot;passion&quot; for all kinds of things that I likewise HATE -- workflow, documentation, regulatory &amp; compliance processes -- but which I work hard on, because I accept that it needs to be done and I can see that it isn't being done (or not very well) and I hate to see things fail.&quot;

I think you missed a key point here, which is, you can hate something just as passionately as you love it.

I've spent almost my entire career in software testing, because NOTHING bothers me more than a poorly designed or implemented product.  When I see a stupid bug, it actually, no exaggeration, makes me angry.  I reserve special ire for GUIs that seem to go out of their way to be hard to use.  Low quality offends me, in a very personal sense, because it is a symptom of someone who doesn't care enough to do his job correctly.

I would say I have a passion for quality.  It is a negative force, not a positive one, but that's just the nature of the testing business.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Dalebert7]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1996924]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[A lot depends on how you define success. Your boss defined success in purely monetary terms. If you define success as making money, then a person who is passionate about making money may be a good bet. People who are passionate about other things may be also successful in their pursuits. For instance, people who are passionate about art may produce beautiful works of art even if they don't make any money at it. They may define that as success.]]></description>
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