Passion versus Profession. Should the twain meet ?

“East is East and West is West and the twain shall never meet”

This saying is part of `The Ballad of East and West’, a famous poem by Rudyard Kipling.

It would be a dream come true to have the twain meet for all people. We all whole-heartedly agree that - Yes, ideally, one should be able to follow one’s heart’s diktat. After all, newer career options have opened up in India in a big way such as journalism, conselling, airlines, data entry processing, advertising, computers etc.

Despite it, this is not always possible as money makes the mare go. In addition, family, peer pressures, available opportunities, higher education costs, perceived future prospects, the habitat and the social and physical environment help shape one’s life decision on a profession. Example: One of my passions is playing soccer. However, I am average in soccer. If I adopt it as a profession and play all day, how would I support my family and myself ?

Passion is self-actualization because a person fully utilizes his/her potential in their area of interest. As per Maslow’s Theory of Wants, one may progress to self-actualization only when other basic needs such as physiological needs, safety, love and esteem have been met. Often in an Indian situation, passions are realigned to be suited to professions. So, we need to clearly distinguish an acquired passion for a profession from a passion per se.

For instance, a lot of school going children dream of becoming successful Engineers, Doctors, Architects, Scientists and IAS officers. Their early education, toys and family members – not necessarily in that particular order – also impress upon them this fact. Their passions are actually lucrative careers, which are, in reality, professions garbed as passions and not real passions.

The first Indian woman pilot Capt. (Mrs.) Durba Banerjee, also the first woman Airbus plane pilot in the world, set it upon herself to crack the hitherto exclusive male preserve. As a child she liked planes and flying, and becoming a pilot was her passion. The first Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest, Ms. Bachendri Pal, who hails from the scenic State of Uttarakhand in the Garhwal Himalayas, withstood several hardships en route to her unique distinction. However, if someone was to take to flying or mountaineering for monetary considerations, I would think that it falls under the category of `acquired passion’. Likewise, a desire to paint landscapes for a living would also be an acquired passion.

In western countries, the society, culture and values are different. A young girl may work at a department store and earn enough to run through her expenses. This would enable her to freely explore work that she desires. However, would an average middle-class Indian family think of allowing their kids to do work likewise ? If your kid loves painting or writing stories, would you encourage him/her to take it up full-time as a profession a la Ruskin Bond ? Many a well-known writer has said that they write to subsist and sustain their livelihood.

We live in a highly materialistic world. If your desired passion is one that is known to bring in the moolah big-time, adopt it as your profession. Otherwise, run the risk of being branded an also-ran. Forget mental satisfaction. There are bills to be paid each month, and unless you are willing to emigrate to the villages, I don’t think that it is practically possible to live without the cash in a city.

Someone I know set his heart on becoming a Bollywood film star. He spent a decade trying his luck. Recently, I met him and learnt the he was now happily working in a Pharmaceutical company. He said that if the offers came, he would surely take them up, but only part-time. His job provided him stability and livelihood.


Thus, find passion in your profession. And the twain shall meet !!