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The Fallacy of “Do What You Love”: Why Work Is Still Work

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By Godwin

"Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life."

It’s a quote that drips with optimism. It decorates motivational posters, graduation speeches, and LinkedIn bios. But in truth? It’s more poetic than practical and potentially misleading.

 Passion Doesn’t Cancel the Grind

Loving your craft doesn’t eliminate stress, deadlines, or the mental load that comes with responsibility. Work. Even meaningful work requires energy, discipline, and resilience.

Whether you're negotiating the sale of a million-dollar estate or crafting a blog post that moves hearts, there’s labour behind the magic.

  • Creative work demands emotional energy, and that's still labour.
  • Passion can fuel burnout if boundaries aren’t in place.
  • Not every task is thrilling - admin, client disputes, rejection emails. Still part of the game.

 The Psychology Behind the Fallacy

This idea that passion nullifies effort is often weaponised against people who struggle. It implies that if you're tired, you're doing it wrong. But that’s a toxic loop.

  • The quote is misattributed to Confucius; there’s no historical record that he said it.
  • Experts say that loving your work doesn’t negate the need for rest and balance.
  • The pressure to “feel fulfilled” constantly can actually erode genuine satisfaction.

Instead of chasing a utopian work fantasy, it’s healthier to seek alignment—where your values, skills, and growth converge.

 Love It? Great. But Let’s Not Romanticise the Hustle.

Work, at its best, can be meaningful and deeply rewarding. But it’s still work. Passion adds flavour but doesn’t remove the weight.

A few truths:

  • You can love what you do and still have hard days.
  • You can feel burnt out from something you're deeply committed to.
  • You can find purpose in your work and still crave escape sometimes.

Accepting this duality leads to better boundaries, healthier ambition, and more sustainable success.

 A More Honest Mantra

Instead of “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” try:

“Do what you love - and learn to work wisely, rest often, and love yourself through the grind.”

Because meaningful work isn’t frictionless - it’s just worth the friction.

 

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