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Stanford professors call 'follow your passion' the worst career advice
80% of people lack a singular passion, say Stanford's Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, who urge experimentation over high-stakes career bets.
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"Follow your passion" may be one of the most common pieces of career advice, but two Stanford professors say it can do more harm than good.
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of "Designing Your Life," argued during a live recording of the "Prof G Podcast" with Scott Galloway released Thursday that the advice is likely to alienate most people rather than help them.
"It's probably the worst advice you can give somebody," Burnett said.
The problem, he explained, is that the instruction assumes everyone has a clear, singular passion to pursue. Citing research by fellow Stanford scholar Bill Damon, Burnett said that fewer than 20% of people have a single identifiable passion. For the other 80%, the message triggers self-doubt rather than clarity.
"Eight out of 10 people go, 'I don't know what you're talking about,'" Burnett said. He added that many people have multiple interests and no obvious way to choose among them, so telling them to follow their passion leaves them feeling: "'I don't know what's wrong with me.'"