We are told to 'do what we love' in life and our careers. Is that a fallacy? | Open thread

A recent commentary in Jacobin raises the question of whether young people are being fed a lie about following their passionMany 20 and 30-somethings (if not those older and younger than that) grew up hearing the advice that all you need to do in life is "find your passion". The implication is that if you "do what you love" (in shorthand: DWYL), success – and presumably happiness and money – would follow. People like Apple's Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg were held up as examples (if not gurus) of this "DWYL" trend, alongside people who quit investment banking jobs to become cheese farmers, plumbers or yoga entrepreneurs. But writer and art history scholar Miya Tokumitsu argues that this romanticized notion of the working world is a dangerous fallacy. It's the modern-day equivalent of the emperor's new clothes myth.In a much shared commentary for Jacobin magazine (later re-printed on Slate.com), Tokumitsu writes:DWYL is a secret handshake of the privileged and a worldview that disguises its elitism as noble self-betterment. According to this way of thinking, labor is not something one does for compensation but is an act of love. If profit doesn't happen to follow, presumably it is because the worker's passion and determination were insufficient. Its real achievement is making workers believe their labor serves the self and not the marketplace.She points out that the vast majority of jobs have no place in the DWYL world because they are "done out of motives or... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #vast majority #guardian readers

Other Publishing stories related to: 'We are told to 'do what we love' in life and our careers. Is that a fallacy? | Open thread'


Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide

The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:34:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #highest levels #american booksellers association


Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide

The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:32:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #highest levels #american booksellers association


Polly Toynbee: what my privileged start in life taught me about the British class system

It wasn’t just luck that steered the Guardian columnist to Oxford and into a media career ... She reflects on the subtle mechanics of class (and an early encounter with a naked future PM)Children know. They breathe it in early, for there’s no unknowing the difference between nannies, cleaners,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-20 12:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter


Quantum physics could offer a new way to study biology—and the results could change our understanding of life itself

There’s a chance our understanding of biology is radically incomplete. Imagine using your cellphone to control the activity of your own cells to treat injuries and disease. It sounds like something from the imagination of an overly optimistic science fiction writer. But this may one day be a... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-05-18 01:04:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction


Naomi Klein investigates ‘conspiracy theory culture’ that has shaken her life

Doppelganger, due out this autumn, examines ‘the wildness of right now’, including personal issues arising from being confused with Naomi Wolf Award-winning author and Guardian columnist Naomi Klein is to publish a book about conspiracy theories, which she has described as a departure and “more... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-17 13:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #conspiracy theories #previous books #award-winning author


Life-Changing Books for Every Reader: PW Talks with Laura Schreiber

The executive editor at Union Square & Co. looks to nurture the work of both debut and seasoned authors. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #union square


7 Babysitters Club Books that Changed My Life

I can’t remember exactly when I discovered The Baby-Sitters Club books. Maybe it was at a Scholastic Book Fair at my school. But I’ll always remember the very first book, Kristy’s Great Idea, with its bright yellow cover and alphabet block letters. I saw four friends hanging out, and I... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-05 11:10:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great idea #electric literature #scholastic


Jack Zipes: Still Finding Stories That Need to Be Told

Jack Zipes technically retired from his position as professor of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota in 2008, but he hasn't paused his prolific contributions to storytelling and radical children's literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comparative literature #jack zipes #radical children


“Maybe This Means Something.” Min Jin Lee on Vulnerability and Audacity, in Life and on the Page

Illustration by Krishna Bala Shenoi. Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, authors, and politicians. It’s a podcast where people sound like people. New episodes air every Sunday, distributed by Pushkin Industries.  * Live from On Air Fest in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-02 08:54:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #talk easy #people sound #sam fragoso #weekly series #intimate conversations #episodes air #pushkin industries #award-winning author


The best gifts for the new grads in your life

Surviving years of college is no small feat, so the graduates in our lives deserve rightful praise and celebration. Whether your graduate is going out into the world to get their first job or continuing with their education, there are a number of gadgets you can gift them that will make them... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-01 13:15:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #guided meditations #reduce anxiety #kindle #e-book


Love & Other Epic Adventures: Science Fiction Romance Books

Get your fill of space adventures, AI hunks, and shipworthy pairings with these science fiction romance books like The Red Scholar's Wake. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-28 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #space adventures #science fiction


Microsoft Designer’s superb, free AI art tools open to everyone

Microsoft is taking its superb AI art / visual designer tool, Microsoft Designer, and opening it up to the general public today. The company is also publicizing its intelligent features: AI-generated captions and hashtags, new image formatting for social media, and AI-powered editing... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-04-27 17:06:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #premium features #additional comment #graphic novel


Jennifer Egan on the Fascinating Interactions Between Technology and Inner Life

Illustration by Krishna Bala Shenoi. Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, authors, and politicians. It’s a podcast where people sound like people. New episodes air every Sunday, distributed by Pushkin Industries.  * In this episode from May 2022,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-25 08:53:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #people sound #jennifer egan #talk easy #sam fragoso #weekly series #intimate conversations #episodes air #pushkin industries #prize-winning author


How the social traffic that gave life to BuzzFeed News ultimately led to its demise

BuzzFeed News' closure represents the struggles of news media, but larger, the mismanagement of digital media properties in a world of consolidation. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-04-24 04:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social traffic #gave life #buzzfeed news #news media #digital media


A Dancer’s Life: Chita Rivera on Working Hard and Learning From the Best

A new memoir traces the three-time Tony Award winner’s life and career working with Balanchine, Robbins and Fosse. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-19 09:00:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chita rivera #working hard #memoir


Bookworm in a Chrysalis: How Language Acquisition Nourishes a Love of Literature

The publishing party for my first book was held in the bookstore I used to work at. My book was piled on the table. People with flowers, people with cups of wine, people who didn’t understand Icelandic all filled the store. I felt like it was my birthday. Ten days earlier, I’d been awarded the […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-19 08:52:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookstore


As London Book Fair Opens: Authors Seed a ‘Tree to Me’ Campaign

Authors are asking their publishers in the UK 10 questions about the climate crisis and what it takes to get a book from the 'Tree to Me.' The post As London Book Fair Opens: Authors Seed a ‘Tree to Me’ Campaign appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-18 05:42:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #campaign appeared #climate crisis #london book fair


Fighting Educational Injustice: Close-Up on Bettina L. Love’s 'Punished for Dreaming'

The author, activist, and educator delivers a scathing indictment of racist school reforms and plots a course for a more just future. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


London Book Fair and Literacy Trust Open Schools Program

London Book Fair has announced its first schools program, expected to bring 80 students to the floor of the trade show this week at Olympia. The post London Book Fair and Literacy Trust Open Schools Program appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-17 09:05:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trade show #london book fair #book fair


Texas Library to Stay Open—For Now

After garnering national headlines, a group of Llano county commissioners on Thursday voted to table the idea of closing its public libraries. But as a federal lawsuit over the library's illegal removal of books it deemed offensive continues, library supporters say the library's future remains... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library supporters #stay open— #public libraries #federal lawsuit