We’ve all heard of the struggling artist, the struggling writer…how many have heard of the struggling investment banker? (Well, apart from those who may have been laid off by the recession!)
When a person pursues money blatantly through his/her work, it’s understood, celebrated and yes, rewarded. However, if the same person were to pursue work for any other reason, his passion is commended yet it’s quickly pointed out that he/she may not expect any kind of financial reward.
Why is this?
Is the pursuit of a passion considered reward enough?
Or is it necessary that money and passion may not be found together?
Consider Bollywood as an example. Commercial viability and critical acclaim are almost mutually exclusive. Shahrukh Khan may sell many films but even with a few acclaimed performances, he is considered a ‘star’ rather than an ‘actor’. To qualify as an artist, he would need to regularly feature in those obscure ‘art films’ which almost never do well commercially.
In other industries too, candidates in job interviews are put on trial to demonstrate their passion – this is a requisite to making an impression and performing well in the interview, of course, but it is also a guarantee that the salary will never meet expectations! As someone once told me, ‘I want to hire someone who is motivated by passion, not by money.”
Well, I agree that you cannot put a price on passion. But does that mean that passion shouldn’t ever be rewarded?
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