Hidden Brain Podcast Summary
Episode: You 2.0: The Passion Pill
Host: Shankar Vedantam
Guest: Jan Yakimovic, Behavioral Scientist at Harvard Business School
Release Date: July 7, 2025
Introduction: Rethinking Passion in Work and Life
In the episode "You 2.0: The Passion Pill," Shankar Vedantam delves into the complex nature of passion, both in personal relationships and professional lives. Drawing inspiration from the iconic 1967 film The Graduate, Vedantam sets the stage by highlighting how sustaining passion often proves more challenging than igniting it. The conversation pivots to explore why passion fades and how individuals can navigate these inevitable changes.
Jan Yakimovic’s Journey: From Inspiration to Frustration
[04:33]
Jan Yakimovic shares his personal story, rooted in his immigrant family's struggles in post-war Germany. Inspired by Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains—a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer—Jan was moved by Farmer's unwavering commitment to fighting injustice. Jan states, "...":
“Maybe this is what I want to do with my life. I want to pursue something that I am passionate about and take that to the next step.”
However, after years of dedicated research at Columbia University, Jan experienced disillusionment when his impactful paper on social ties in Bangladesh received little attention from policymakers or the media. He reflects at [11:26]:
“I was so excited to not only have something to show for my work, but to have something that was so meaningful to me... And nothing happened. I started getting really upset.”
This gap between expectation and reality led Jan to question the conventional narrative that simply following one's passion guarantees fulfillment and success.
The Complexity of Maintaining Passion
[13:27]
Jan describes his low point, where his enthusiasm waned despite his meaningful work. He shares at [13:42]:
“I was feeling really low. I had a hard time motivating myself to do more... I didn't know what to do with myself.”
This realization prompted Jan to investigate why passion often fades and what can be done to sustain it over time.
Research Findings: When Passion Becomes a Double-Edged Sword
[29:03]
Jan's research at Harvard Business School involved surveying over 600 employees about their orientation toward work. He discovered that while viewing work as a passion generally correlates with better performance and higher investment, excessive passion on any given day can lead to decreased performance due to anxiety and heightened expectations. Jan explains:
“There is such a thing as too much passion. You can feel too passionate for your work, and that can be really challenging, and it can make you perform worse.”
[30:31]
Stories of Passion Fading and Reinvention
Athlete Burnout: Alexandra Wozniak
Jan discusses Alexandra Wozniak, a former Canadian tennis player who peaked at world number 21 but withdrew from the spotlight due to burnout. He narrates at [19:08]:
“Playing a game was now about success, about winning money, about earnings, about competition... it was really hard... it wasn't what she signed up for.”
Entrepreneurial Struggles: Brooke Boyarski Pratt
Brooke Boyarski Pratt left a stable job to start her own company aimed at reducing weight stigma. The transition led to overwhelming work hours and identity crises. Jan recounts:
“Most days it doesn't feel that way. And then the follow-up question from the same student was, so do you regret doing this? And she said, absolutely not.”
[24:34]
Personal Transformation: Chef’s Reinvention
A passionate chef realized that high-end restaurant life stifled his true love for fostering connections through food. Traveling ignited an interest in photography and human connection, prompting him to shift his focus to creating communal dining experiences. Jan summarizes:
“Instead of focusing on the food being the main dish, he worked at a restaurant where people cooked to provide connections over food.”
[38:04]
Jan’s Mother: Finding Fulfillment in Unexpected Roles
Jan shares his mother's story of finding profound satisfaction in a job that society might deem mundane. After being laid off, she took a position in a retirement home, where her role in supporting fellow immigrants provided deep personal fulfillment. Jan reflects:
“This was the job that my mom was the most passionate about in her whole career.”
[46:19]
Cultural Perspectives on Passion
[26:41]
Jan introduces the German word Leidenschaft, which he suggests encapsulates passion as the "ability to endure hardship," contrasting sharply with the American ideal of effortless fulfillment. He explains:
“When you're passionate about something, the day-to-day can be really challenging... but you do it anyway because you believe in it.”
[28:46]
In Polish, passion is associated with suffering (paczynanie), emphasizing sacrifice over pleasure, highlighting cultural nuances in understanding and sustaining passion.
Balancing Passion and Flexibility
[38:33]
Jan emphasizes the necessity of reinventing one's passion to maintain it over time. He cites the example of Elizabeth Rowe, a principal flutist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who transitioned to leadership coaching after decades in music. Jan shares her metaphor:
“It's like swinging on a trapeze... you have to let go of one bar to hold onto the next.”
[39:21]
This balance between perseverance and adaptability underscores that maintaining passion often requires evolving interests and roles.
Concluding Insights: Embracing the Unresolved
[49:46]
Upon revisiting Mountains Beyond Mountains, Jan noticed that Paul Farmer, despite his monumental achievements, remained perpetually dissatisfied, driven by a belief that "some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world." Jan observes:
“Perhaps not resolving it is what keeps the passion alive. By not resolving it, you have to continue finding new solutions.”
[49:46]
This perpetual striving fosters continuous passion, suggesting that complete fulfillment may be unattainable, yet the journey itself sustains enthusiasm.
Final Thoughts: Navigating the Passion Pill
Jan Yakimovic's exploration reveals that passion is neither a simple elixir nor a guaranteed path to success and happiness. Instead, it is a dynamic force that requires resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace both fulfillment and frustration. By understanding the multifaceted nature of passion, individuals can better navigate their personal and professional lives, sustaining their drive amidst inevitable challenges.
Notable Quotes:
- Jan Yakimovic [06:23]:
“Maybe this is what I want to do with my life. I want to pursue something that I am passionate about and take that to the next step.”
- Jan Yakimovic [11:26]:
“I was so excited to not only have something to show for my work, but to have something that was so meaningful to me... And nothing happened.”
- Jan Yakimovic [28:46]:
“When you're passionate about something, the day-to-day can be really challenging... but you do it anyway because you believe in it.”
- Jan Yakimovic [39:21]:
“It's like swinging on a trapeze... you have to let go of one bar to hold onto the next.”
- Jan Yakimovic [49:46]:
“Perhaps not resolving it is what keeps the passion alive. By not resolving it, you have to continue finding new solutions.”
This episode provides a nuanced perspective on passion, challenging the often romanticized view and offering actionable insights for sustaining enthusiasm and fulfillment in various aspects of life.