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| by Chris McGinty of AccordingToWhim.com |
I saw a
post on Twitter today where the poster suggested that people saying “pursue
your passion” was an indication of privilege. The idea was that the people
saying this were judging and that they have never had to worry about things
like eviction and health insurance. I follow this person because they seem
nice, but every so often they post something like this. It’s a sort of life has
already defeated me point of view. I replied once with some practical advice
about looking up time saving tips and I got back something like, “I’ve done
that already and I still have too much to do and I can’t stop doing any of it, so
I guess I’m just screwed.”
I think
there is a good point in there somewhere, which is to say that it really is a
privilege to be able to pursue your passion. There are places in the world
where pursuing passion has to take a backseat to pursuing food. It interests me
that the post didn’t mention eating as a privilege, but rather the need to not
get evicted and to pay for healthcare. It feels like having a place to live
where you use your Wi-Fi and have health coverage is a privilege. That’s why I
don’t feel like life has defeated anyone who eats regularly, can find regular
employment even if it’s a job they hate, and can go see a doctor when they’re
sick.
there is a good point in there somewhere, which is to say that it really is a
privilege to be able to pursue your passion. There are places in the world
where pursuing passion has to take a backseat to pursuing food. It interests me
that the post didn’t mention eating as a privilege, but rather the need to not
get evicted and to pay for healthcare. It feels like having a place to live
where you use your Wi-Fi and have health coverage is a privilege. That’s why I
don’t feel like life has defeated anyone who eats regularly, can find regular
employment even if it’s a job they hate, and can go see a doctor when they’re
sick.
Maybe that
is judgment on my part, but I don’t do very well with people who refuse to try
in a society where self-help is a thriving market, because we have the
disposable incomes to help it thrive. Pursuing your passion isn’t a big grand
thing that is unattainable. Making a living from your passion may be, but
pursuing it certainly isn’t. There’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and a large
portion of the world has the first two levels met without even trying.
is judgment on my part, but I don’t do very well with people who refuse to try
in a society where self-help is a thriving market, because we have the
disposable incomes to help it thrive. Pursuing your passion isn’t a big grand
thing that is unattainable. Making a living from your passion may be, but
pursuing it certainly isn’t. There’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and a large
portion of the world has the first two levels met without even trying.
Chris
McGinty is a blogger who has been teetering between Esteem and
Self-Actualization for most of his life.
McGinty is a blogger who has been teetering between Esteem and
Self-Actualization for most of his life.
I feel it was one of those statements to rile people up to get them to react. A publicity thing, nothing more. We see more and more of these apparently ill-thought out statements lately, designed to get others mad than actually making a valid point of discussion.