Passion and Drive: Should you pursue a career in something you love or something you’re good at?

Life and career decisions are by no means a simple task. From GCSE level we’re bombarded with career information and the pressure to decide what to do in life – what job you want, what subjects you want to give up or carry on; the list is endless and causes so much unnecessary stress. It is a lot easier said than done to give up something you love in order to pursue something you’re good at.

Before coming to University, I often doubted if I was doing the right thing and taking the correct path. The thought of moving to the opposite end of the country, living in an unknown city for three years and giving up my life at home was daunting to say the least.

A couple of months into the first semester I found myself watching a speech given by the lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor, at the Oxford University Union. Yes – you read that right! He does seem like quite an unlikely person to be at the Oxford Union, which is partly why I was intrigued to watch his talk and hear what he had to say.

Corey’s topic was ‘passion and drive’, discussing whether or not you should focus your efforts on the things you love in life or go for something you are good at.

Using himself as an example, he explained that he had always had a passion for history and wanted to be a history teacher. As he got older he realised that that was not going to happen. He had no patience, for one thing, but also became aware that he was not built for the school system. At that point, he begun working on his music and more importantly, working on what he was naturally good at and had a talent for.

“Too many people try to follow what they love and not necessarily what they’re good at.” He argued that if you work at what you are good at, eventually you will find the passion and you will learn to love what you do.

I agree with Corey when he says, “if you follow the path of least resistance, or you discover what you’re good at, and you go with that; the love, the passion, the drive, the career will open up for you.” But what happens if you don’t develop that love? What if you don’t enjoy what you’re “good at” or don’t have the drive to pursue a career in that “talent”? Surely then you would be happier doing something you love and have a passion for?

I put these questions to a few friends in Leeds and got some interesting responses. One argued that she would be happier in life doing something that she was good at, rather than pursuing a passion. Her reason being that if you were never successful or even good at your passion, you could find yourself becoming depressed and unhappy. Whereas, another said she would rather do the thing she loved and had a passion for, as she would enjoy it so much more.

Another point Corey made in his speech was that you should follow “what you were built to do.” However, talking to another friend, he argued that we do not all have a single thing that we were made to do or created for. He believes that talent can be developed through practicing and perseverance, it is not something you’re instantly born with. Therefore, he concludes that if you really go for your passion you will eventually succeed. 

Personally, I believe you should not give up your passion for something completely different that you happen to be good at. My passion is music, and while I love performing and being on stage playing in a band, I’ll admit that it is not my greatest talent. However, I have not given up my passion for music and instead I’m adapting my skills and natural talents for a career in music.

Corey Taylor made an extremely valid point in his speech about being pragmatic and not chasing after unrealistic dreams. However, I also believe that it does not, and more importantly should not, apply to us all. Without wanting to sound too cheesy: if you have a dream and feel strongly about it, then no one should stand in your way. If you are determined and ambitious enough then you will achieve it. As Corey said: “never limit yourself”. If you never try, then you will never know what could have been.

I have still got a lot of decisions to make regarding life and career choices and they don not get any easier the older you get. Just make sure you are doing the right thing in life: the thing that you actually wantto do and enjoy. You may excel in it or you may be just pretty average, but if you love what you are doing, then that is the most important thing.

Just ask my flatmate who is planning on changing her degree for the third time – it may have taken her a while to come to the right choice, but at least this time she knows what she really wants.

Well, she hopes.
 
Corey Taylor’s speech at the Oxford Union, Part 1: