On this page

Charlie Munger once said, “In my whole life I’ve never been good at something I wasn’t very interested in. It just doesn’t work. There’s no substitute for strong interest.” And like most things Munger says, it’s not only straightforward but also frustratingly accurate. We want to believe that we can willpower our way to greatness, that the grind will eventually unlock the doors to excellence. But the truth is, without passion, the grind is often just… well, grinding.

The inconvenient truth about growth is that it requires more than discipline and a good planner. It requires interest — deep, genuine interest — because there’s nothing that replaces the propulsion passion provides. Without it, progress tends to be fleeting at best and drudgery at worst.

The Myth of "Willpower Alone"

We’ve all heard it: if you work hard enough, you can be good at anything. There’s something inspiring, if not a little self-satisfactory, about the idea that willpower is the ultimate key to success. It implies that if you’re not succeeding, it’s just because you’re not grinding hard enough.

But let’s be real for a moment: Have you ever tried to be genuinely great at something you found boring? Like the time you thought you'd master the intricacies of plumbing just because fixing a leaky faucet seemed practical? (No? Just me?) It’s like trying to win a marathon while wearing slippers—slow, awkward, and bound to make you question your choices.

The truth is, willpower alone will get you to brush up on a complex manual for maybe an hour, but passion? Passion will make you learn it inside out, upside down, and then apply it creatively in ways no one thought possible. Not because it’s easy, but because you’re deeply, annoyingly interested.

The Power of Passion in Business and Careers

Look at the individuals and companies that have truly excelled. The Steve Jobses, the Elon Musks, the people who get caricatured for their obsessiveness — they didn’t just "work hard." They cared about what they were doing in a way that transcended profit margins or performance reviews.

Take businesses that innovate rather than imitate. You can see the difference in the way they approach challenges. Passionate companies aren’t daunted by obstacles; they seem almost delighted by them, because each problem is another opportunity to demonstrate their love for what they do. Passion is what drives mastery, and mastery is what drives exceptional growth.

This is why Munger’s insight is so potent: if you’re not interested, you’ll never have the motivation to push through those moments when everyone else gives up. Strong interest isn’t a luxury; it’s a prerequisite.

Recognizing Where Passion Fits in Today’s World

Today’s world is full of opportunities to chase your interests, thanks to technology. Want to build robots at home? Sure thing, there’s an app for that. Want to sell handmade socks for three-legged cats? You have a global marketplace at your fingertips.

But on the flip side, ignoring passion can be dangerous. How many people, burned out and uninspired, have slogged through careers they weren’t interested in because they were "supposed" to? The risk of mediocrity is high, but worse, the risk of never tapping into your true potential is even higher.

That’s why finding alignment between your passion and your skill set isn’t just a fluffy idea; it’s a very practical approach to thriving in a complex job market. Passion isn’t just a spark; it’s the fire that keeps the engine running through setbacks and challenges.

What About Boring but Necessary Skills?

Now, don’t get me wrong—not everything you do has to be infused with burning passion. Even the most inspired marketer has to sit through meetings, answer emails, and perhaps even deal with a particularly obtuse spreadsheet every now and then.

But passion for the overarching goal makes even the mundane tasks bearable. If you truly love what you do, you’ll deal with the boring bits because they’re part of the bigger picture. It’s like making a complex dish: chopping onions might not be thrilling, but if you’re passionate about the end result, you’ll chop those onions with flair—or at least without tears (or fewer, depending on the onions).

The Employer’s Role in Passion

Employers, take note: a workforce driven by passion is one that’s more productive, more innovative, and more likely to stick around. It’s crucial to recognize where an employee’s interest lies and to cultivate that intersection between what lights them up and what serves the company’s objectives.

Nurturing that strong interest isn’t just good leadership; it’s good business. Employees engaged in work they find genuinely interesting are less likely to burn out, more likely to innovate, and — crucially — more likely to be invested in the company's success as if it were their own.

Passion as the Spark for Real Growth

The inconvenient truth about growth is that without passion, progress is limited. Strong interest is what drives us to master the skills others find impossible or unbearable. It’s what gives us the energy to push beyond the status quo and create something extraordinary.

So if you find yourself struggling to make progress, maybe it’s time to ask: Are you really interested? And if not, what would it take for you to move in a direction that genuinely excites you? After all, if it’s good enough for Charlie Munger, it’s probably good enough for the rest of us.