Quote · SOLVED with Mark Manson
Passion, Solved: Is It Really Worth Pursuing?
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Round 4 — Passion Is Developed, Not Found: The Research Case
At 1:32:48 · chapter starts 1:24:20
Drew's final substantive argument is the one both hosts ultimately agree on most fully. Drawing on Carol Dweck's and Angela Duckworth's research, he explains that people who believe passions are innate — waiting to be found — actually abandon new interests far more quickly than people who understand passion as something grown through engagement [1] — Drew Birnie "Research shows people who believe passion is innate abandon new interests too quickly. People who believe passion is built stick with it an…" 1:24:15 . Duckworth's own story is instructive: she didn't go to grad school until her 30s, didn't discover her passion for the psychology of grit until she was deep into academic life. The four-phase model of passion development — from triggered situational interest to well-developed passion — describes a process, not an event. Mark adds that self-determination theory's research on excellence as an intrinsic motivator supports Newport's mastery argument: getting good at something reliably generates passion for it. The two hosts converge on 'develop your passion' as the most accurate and actionable framing, acknowledging it respects both aptitude and process.
Research by Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth shows people who believe passions are innate are more likely to abandon interests, while those who see passion as developed stick with it longer.
Cal Newport argues in 'So Good They Can't Ignore You' that competence is the basis of passion — people tend to become passionate about the things they are good at.
Research identifies four phases of passion development: triggered situational interest, maintained situational interest, emerging individual interest, and well-developed passion — showing passion is always a grown process.
