One of the leading VCs in SV, Ben Horowitz advised the graduating class at Columbia University to not pursue their passion. The video of his speech can be found right at the end of this article.
His argument was pretty intriguing. According to a Business Insider article, he outlined 4 reasons for his rather unconventional commencement speech. I disagree, and my opposing views are in italics.
1. Passions are hard to prioritise.
Why do you need to prioritise your passions? Just pick one and go with it as long as you have given a serious thought about your passions. Deep down you know, some passions are only distractions.
2. Passions change.
If your passions change, it probably was never your passion to begin with which brings me back to point one – always think through it thoroughly before committing.
3. You may not be good at it.
If you’re really passionate about something, you would spend hours and hours on it. After all, in his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. It’s not impossible to be good at your passion.
4. It’s self-centered.
Life is mainly about you. Make yourself happy first, before helping others.
What do you think about Ben Horowitz’s commencement speech?
Watch his speech here:
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
