Following your passion

[Hugh Conway]

everybody wants somebody else working a shitty job have it be their passion. treating cancer patients? Noble, shitty.

[Meadow Skipper]

everybody wants somebody else working a shitty job have it be their passion. treating cancer patients? Noble, shitty.

True enough. But an oncologist I know pretty well seems really interested in the long-term care of patients, rather than getting a part in a movie. I'm pretty glad for that.

[XXX-er]

around here the ER/anesthetists work 2 on 4 off ...weeks that is

I haven't got a clue what my passion is and whatever i do next is what ever I do next

but skiing is the thing i turn up for the most in life

[that dude who did that thing]

Other than both being doctors, there's a huge difference in what ER doctors do vs. oncologists. To say the least, ER docs don't have a long term commitment to patients treatment, unlike oncologists.

I go the the ER, I get stabilized and treated and, if necessary, passed on to a specialist for long-term treatment. If I go to an oncologist, I'd like to have someone focused on my long-term treatment and well-being, not a shift-worker.

How excactly are you equating part-time with short-term?

somebody can do a part time job for decades. My wife works 24 hours a week, she's been doing that job for close to a decade. She's the best in the state at that job. Partially because she isn't burned out by working excessive hours.

I really hate agreeing with Hugh, but l do think people tend to want others to "be" something, when ;really all they need is for them to "do" something. If I never need one, I want the best oncologist,not the one who works the longest hours. Sadly, that industry is set up in a way that makes it all but impossible to determine who is best.

Andwhile it might be nice to find one who is "passionate" about oncology, that's even harder to evaluate. I do konw that I'm reasonably passionate about what I do (I was fortunate enough to be able to make a very favorable compromise between what I wanted and what the real world was willing to pay for), but I like it better and am better at it when I do less of it. Unfortunately, I also mak eless money then.

[Meadow Skipper]

How excactly are you equating part-time with short-term?

somebody can do a part time job for decades. My wife works 24 hours a week, she's been doing that job for close to a decade. She's the best in the state at that job. Partially because she isn't burned out by working excessive hours.

I really hate agreeing with Hugh, but l do think people tend to want others to "be" something, when ;really all they need is for them to "do" something. If I never need one, I want the best oncologist,not the one who works the longest hours. Sadly, that industry is set up in a way that makes it all but impossible to determine who is best.

Andwhile it might be nice to find one who is "passionate" about oncology, that's even harder to evaluate. I do konw that I'm reasonably passionate about what I do (I was fortunate enough to be able to make a very favorable compromise between what I wanted and what the real world was willing to pay for), but I like it better and am better at it when I do less of it. Unfortunately, I also mak eless money then.

I'm not equating part-time with short-term, and if you'd quit being a douchebag pursuing your lawyerly passion for wordplay and pay attention to what I'm writing we might have a reasonable conversation. A part -time oncologist interested in pursuing acting as a career doesn't strike me as being the type of person that would focus on the necessarily complex and long-term care required for cancer patients. I don't particularly insist that an oncologist be passionate about curing cancer, but I'd like some indication that they aren't distracted enough by whatever they are passionate about that they can't focus full-time on treating cancer. YYMV, but I think you haven't got a clue.

Congrats on pointlessly inserting your wife's part-time job into the discussion and adding absolutely nothing of relevance. But at least you gave up on equating ER doctor care with oncology.

[that dude who did that thing]

I'm sorry that I am not more patient with the complete non-sequiturs that you write. Now you think that acting is not "complex" enough for a good oncologist to be interested in it. I'm not being "lawyerly" I'm being logical, unlike you that seems to think you can judge someone's skill at one profession by their interest in another.

This is why peopl elike Mike Rowe make good money for stating the obvious, because so many people need it stated for them.

Hire whatever fucking oncologist you like on whatever absurd criteria you develop. But you've added exactly zero to this discussion about whether platitudes about following passion have any meaning whatsoever (BTW, they really don't, even in oncology, or emergency medicine for that matter, or part time social work like my wife, who's really fucking awesome and makes me quite proud to be associated with, although that wasn't at all the point I was trying to make earlier,but I might as well make now, since you're being such a dick about it).

[abraham]

To be fair, depending on location and what type of acting they are interested in, an oncologist could be picky and only accept a limited number of patients while pursuing acting. Id want to meet the doctor before establishing a relationship rather than reading yelplike reviews that say dr. xx sucks dong because he wouldn't see me and I'm special.

[bl2000]

I'm good, I get paid for my passion.

You get paid for being a shithead?

[hutash]

The husband of my wife's best friend gave up a quite lucrative career in PR to follow his dream of being a remodeling contractor. He sank all his savings into the venture, worked long hours, really gave it his all. He is awful at it, and now 5 years later they are barely covering the mortgage.

sure, but he would still be in PR if he didn't, and that could suck more then not getting rich doing what you enjoy. Rowe ' s point is the world needs ditch diggers as well, and those who don't follow their desires end up in the shit jobs like septic tank pumper. Sure a outhouse pumper can make a shit load of money, but it is still a shitty job.

[Meadow Skipper]

I'm sorry that I am not more patient with the complete non-sequiturs that you write...

...But you've added exactly zero to this discussion about whether platitudes about following passion have any meaning whatsoever

First ^this, then this:

...or part time social work like my wife, who's really fucking awesome and makes me quite proud to be associated with, although that wasn't at all the point I was trying to make earlier,but I might as well make now, since you're being such a dick about it).

Even you should be able to see the irony there.

[that dude who did that thing]

Nice try. Failed, but at least you tried.

[Meadow Skipper]

Nice try. Failed, but at least you tried.

I'll be the judge of that, Mr. Wordgames.

[DBdude]

I have a satisfying well paying job and I live in ski country. It is VT, but hey, it could be worse.

Do I have a passion for my job? Hell no. Do I like it, yes. Could I imagine myself doing many other things that pay well and are flexible? no.

Mike nailed it. Following your passion is bullshit for most people.

[Chugach001]

It takes zero skill or courage to follow your passions. Anyone can ski, climb, surf all the time. Just like any kid would opt to spend the rest of his life at Disney or eating ice cream. It's a silly immature plan but very, very appealing on the surface.

[Benny Profane]

I learned the deal early in life. Most of the hippies and student revolutionaries spouting their quasi Marxism back in the 70s suddenly joined the human race, as Steely Dan said so well in that song, and cut their hair, put on suits, and started acting like their parents. (Hillary Clinton is a classic example). I'll bet most of the people you see following their dreams today in the outdoor recreation world are on a sort of vacation from their gifted lives until time is up and grandad insists they come and work at the firm, or depleting their trust funds slowly.

[DBdude]

hillary was a goldwater girl in 64

[Benny Profane]

Yeah well, that changed. She campaigned for Eugene McCarthy in 67, and was revolted by Nixon.

[creaky fossil]

Yeah, that stuck out for me, too.

This has become a bit of a mantra for me (because of the work I do): there is no labor shortage in America, not for any job at all, there is only a wage shortage. If there are "millions of good jobs unfilled" it is solely because there are millions of jobs not paying a market wage. And that's by definition.

I insist that fry cooks make $250k/yr, because they want that salary. Want = need. How can someone live in America without a giant house, expensive vehicle, and all the electric gadgets one can see on Top Gear?

hillary was a goldwater girl in 64

Still a Geltwasser, just working a new brand.

[stfu&gbtw]

Following your "passion" into a career is a horrible idea. Nothing like taking an activity or interest you really enjoy and tying your fucking paycheck to it. As someone who's had a successful career in a field I was passionate about at one time, my opinion is that a good career will come at the expense of your passion. I still enjoy my line of work, and I will be forever grateful that I can earn a living doing something that interests me, provides me a reasonable income, and a fairly high degree of personal flexibility. But all that has come at the cost of the maniacal enthusiasm I once had for technology.

So, all you passionate dreamers out there... When you're ready to turn the love of your life into a fucking grind - go get a job doing it for a living. If you want to keep dreaming, go get a job that pays you enough money to do what you want, and save your personal interests for yourself.

[systemoverblow'd]

Following your "passion" into a career is a horrible idea. Nothing like taking an activity or interest you really enjoy and tying your fucking paycheck to it. As someone who's had a successful career in a field I was passionate about at one time, my opinion is that a good career will come at the expense of your passion. I still enjoy my line of work, and I will be forever grateful that I can earn a living doing something that interests me, provides me a reasonable income, and a fairly high degree of personal flexibility. But all that has come at the cost of the maniacal enthusiasm I once had for technology.

So, all you passionate dreamers out there... When you're ready to turn the love of your life into a fucking grind - go get a job doing it for a living. If you want to keep dreaming, go get a job that pays you enough money to do what you want, and save your personal interests for yourself.

Hell hath frozen over... I agree with you. That's kind of how I feel about video. I love it to death and couldn't imagine doing anything else, but I've lost a lot of lust for it (lust vs love). When I was in college, I would leave class and geek out with video deep into the night because it was my passion. Now, I do less and less of it outside of work. And when I do, I consider it a hassle.

People have asked me to help photograph their wedding or engagement photos. I decline every single time for two reasons.
#1 - I don't think I am good enough with photography (especially portraits) to be comfortable in a once and a lifetime (not true for marriage) shot.
#2 - If I start charging, it will become a job. And I don't want that. People also ask if I will sell prints and to that I refuse as well. I'm not in it to make money. I'm in it for fun and for me. I don't need to ruin another hobby for pocket change.

[Buster Highmen]

I insist that fry cooks make $250k/yr, because they want that salary. Want = need. How can someone live in America without a giant house, expensive vehicle, and all the electric gadgets one can see on Top Gear?.

Move to India, get a 2 year degree in CompSci there and get hired by msft, google or amazon because those companies prefer hiring codecroppers that depend on their corpotate masters for their visas as opposed to Americans who might give them shit for their hiring strategies.

[Buster Highmen]

All this typical disrespect overlooks a lot of people like scientists or passionate academics who, while teeteringly geeky, are following their passions.

When I had to make the decision for me regarding skiing, I likened it to being a prostitute and decided that for me skiing for a career would have been like being a prostitute in following what turns you on into a career.

But who the fuck am I to cast that on somebody else?

Jeez you shits are already really ugly cranky old fucks.

[stfu&gbtw]

Hell hath frozen over... I agree with you.

Well, before we let that get out of hand, may I ask your opinion of RAID configurations for arrays containing large volumes?

[grrrr]

All this typical disrespect overlooks a lot of people like scientists or passionate academics who, while teeteringly geeky, are following their passions.

When I had to make the decision for me regarding skiing, I likened it to being a prostitute and decided that for me skiing for a career would have been like being a prostitute in following what turns you on into a career.

But who the fuck am I to cast that on somebody else?

Jeez you shits are already really ugly cranky old fucks.

Exactly. After 28 years, I still love what I do. Sure, I love skiing and biking and sex, too. But I am passionate about my career and have not had any desire in the past 28 years to do something else.

But I'm sure a lot of the casting could fall under the category "sour grapes".

[creaky fossil]

Move to India, get a 2 year degree in CompSci there and get hired by msft, google or amazon because those companies prefer hiring codecroppers that depend on their corpotate masters for their visas as opposed to Americans who might give them shit for their hiring strategies.

and the curries, think of the curries