Should you pursue your passion or find your purpose?
Are they the same thing?
Although many life coaches and happiness experts may lump passion and purpose together, the slight differences between the two may make a world of difference when searching for happiness.
Discover the difference between passion and purpose, and determine which you should pursue.
Passion vs. Purpose
Passion drives us. Purpose gives us meaning.
We can also think of passion vs purpose as what vs why. Our passions are the things we love doing, and our purpose is our reason for doing things, whether we love them or not.
Some people don’t have to think about passion vs. purpose. What drives them also gives their lives meaning. However, others have many passions that may or may not align with their life goals.
What is Passion?
Our passions are the things we love. They excite and energize us, making us want to get up and tackle the day.
We can be passionate about many things at once. I’m passionate about my cats, website, work, traveling, learning, and family.
Some people have a singular passion, like an artist who spends their entire life perfecting the craft or an activist who dedicates their life to a cause.
Passions Don’t Always Provide Meaning
We can love things that don’t give our life meaning.
Many people are passionate about sports, celebrities, pop culture, games, collectibles, and other aspects of daily life. While these passions make life enjoyable, most would agree they don’t provide a sense of purpose.
We can be passionate about something that isn’t our purpose.
What is Purpose?
Our purpose gives us a reason, provides a sense of direction to our lives, and helps us discover our place in the world.
In many cases, our purpose isn’t the action itself, but it’s the why. If we’re passionate about our families, we can spend all our time working in a job we hate because making sure our kids are cared for, no matter what it takes, gives us a sense of purpose.
We’re Not Always Passionate About Our Purpose
We don’t always have to be passionate about our purpose in life. In strictly biological terms, all organisms’ primary purpose is reproduction—to spread our genes. However, humans have the unique capacity to choose what we want to do. We can find purpose in things outside of our biological imperatives. Although many still find meaning in their families, others find it elsewhere—in the pursuit of knowledge, in service to others, or in a higher power.
We get to choose our purpose and decide what gives our lives meaning.
We are usually passionate about our purpose. Scientists pursue knowledge because they’re passionate about their field of study, and their contributions to our collective understanding of the world give their lives meaning.
However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, people find purpose in serving others, not because they’re passionate about people, but because they find meaning in helping others. Some people go so far as to sacrifice their lives for others. They may not be passionate about a cause but find meaning in sacrificing so others don’t have to.
Our purpose may be something like raising a family, so we do something we aren’t passionate about so we can afford to give our kids everything they deserve.
Should You Pursue Your Passion or Purpose?
Should you pursue a career you’re passionate about or a life of meaning?
The question is far more complex than it seems. Ideally, you’d find what you’re passionate about that also provides a sense of purpose in your life and pursue that.
But life is never ideal. It may take us years to discover our ultimate purpose in life. We may not know what we’re passionate about or have the means to pursue our passions.
So what should you do?
Your Best
It seems like a cop-out answer, but it’s not; it’s the world we live in.
Most people can’t afford to pursue their passions. They have bills to pay and cannot live off an academic’s salary.
I wanted to be a wildlife biologist because I was passionate about nature, animals, and conservation. Then, I discovered that most wildlife biologists only make about $45,000 annually, and I had student loans to pay off. I couldn’t afford to pursue my dream job, so I worked in a related field where I made way more money and pursued the other things I enjoyed on the side.
Discover
Life changes you. I’m no longer passionate about wildlife biology.
As you learn new things, you’ll likely discover more passions and re-examine your purpose.
Rather than laser focus on the thing you’re passionate about at 18, leave room to grow. Explore different paths and ideas. You might always return to your original passion, but you may find something completely different that serves as both your passion and purpose.
Find Meaning Elsewhere
Many people conflate their passions and purpose with a job. Our work culture celebrates the idea that everyone has a “dream job,” work they are passionate about that gives their lives meaning.
That’s a corporate fantasy designed to keep you looking for a dream job that doesn’t exist.
You can find meaning outside of work. You can find a passion outside of work.
Get a good job that pays the bills and provides enough free time for you to pursue your passions and purpose outside of work. Work as a software engineer while volunteering at a cat rescue on the weekends. Work for a living while pursuing your passions and purpose as a life.
Beyond Passion vs. Purpose
Life isn’t just about passion vs purpose. There’s far more to take into consideration.
What if someone offered you a dream job, but you’d have to stab your best friend in the back to get it? Would you do it?
Our values play a role in what we pursue. Neither passion nor purpose will provide the meaning you seek if you go against your values to obtain it.
Family obligations, spirituality, financial resources, aptitude, and other variables also influence what you should pursue. You can’t play in the NBA if you’re not athletic, no matter how passionate you are about basketball. Most people will never become astronauts, no matter how passionate they are about space.
Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and that’s okay. We can always change course and find new things that give our lives meaning.
Passion and Purpose and Life
Finding your purpose and pursuing your passion are wonderful ways to live a full life, but they don’t have to match. You can enjoy many passions while finding purpose in something else. You can get a job that aligns with your passion while finding your purpose in volunteer work, or you can get a job that aligns with your purpose while pursuing your passion as a side hustle.
Passion, purpose, and life, in general, aren’t black and white. They’re glorious shades of every color on the spectrum. The biggest joy in life is experiencing the wide range of flavors and discovering which suits you best.