The Trouble with Passion

Building Psychological Strength

"Follow your passion!" How many times have you heard that? How many people have you spoken to lately who are either quitting their jobs or thinking about quitting because they lack passion? Many would argue that this is one of the biggest drivers behind "The Great Resignation" that we're all hearing so much about these days.

But, what if there's a problem with following your passion?

This week's guest, Erin Cech is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan. Her research investigates how seemingly benign and taken-for-granted cultural beliefs reproduce workforce inequalities.

In her recent book "The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality," Erin teases apart some of the hidden issues with searching for passion and fulfillment solely from your job. She talks about how:

1. Searching for passion can perpetuate societal cycles that promote inequality
2. Our sense of identity can become wrapped up in our job and can suffer when we are laid off or experience a big shift in our careers
3. Our passion is something that can be cultivated and fulfilled in MANY ways in our lives, and by focusing solely on our jobs, we limit ourselves.

We have a great discussion at the end about the micro- (individual) and macro- (societal) shifts that could occur to help all of us experience more passion and balance in our work. You won't wan to miss it!

Additional Resources:

1. Finding Flow at Work (Peak Mind blog post): https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/finding-flow-at-work
2. Designing Your Work Life (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3rV4a0T
3. Episode 0318 Psych Strength & Flexible Work Arrangements: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/0318
4. Buy Erin's Book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3lV2yjQ
5. Follow Erin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CechErin

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