> This thinking is ridiculous, and doesn't really appear in any other industry. Do you care whether your accountant's idea of an enjoyable Friday night is sitting at home making more spreadsheets? Would you demand that your eye doctor go home and craft her own lenses in her garage for fun?
Actually, it does appear in other industries. Many of my friends who are designers do various sorts of art in their free-time, whether that's drawing or even the same type of photoshop stuff they do at work. One of the best CNC machinists that I know has come into the shop on weekends to experiment with making ornate snowflake ornaments, folding knives, and motorcycle attachments on the mills... His job consists of machining parts for cable laying machines, but he enjoys the challenge of figuring out how to manufacture complex parts so much that he does it in his free time.
I don't know any accountants or optometrists very well, but I wouldn't be surprised if the passionate ones spent time outside of work learning about the latest advancements in their respective fields.
> Competency doesn't require fanaticism, and no employer should expect that their employees devote their entire lives to their occupation.
True, _competency_ doesn't require fanaticism, but if you want to _excel_ at something (and don't want to end up hating your life in the process) you had better really enjoy it because you're going to have to put in several thousand hours of learning. Spending all that time exploring your particular field of study won't be a problem if it's something you love, and you're more likely to continue exploring it and keeping yourself up-to-date if you're interested in it. Thus, passion makes a pretty good predictor for success among high-achieving employees.
> True, _competency_ doesn't require fanaticism, but if you want to _excel_ at something
This is along the lines of what I was thinking.
If I'm looking for someone who is really passionate about what they do, they're probably going to be associated with it outside of their nine to five. This could be reading books, magazines, talking to people, participating in discussion boards, or trying to figure out problems.
That doesn't mean every employee is like that, or that you have to be like that to be a worthwhile employee, but it's not crazy to think that someone in almost every field will be actively involved in something related to their profession in their day to day, outside of work.
Even with accountants, you might not be doing someones books all the time, but you might have an active interest in financial news, forums, current scams, common mistakes, loopholes you could use, etc. etc. (I don't know anything about accounting; don't judge me :))
> I don't know any accountants or optometrists very well, but I wouldn't be surprised if the passionate ones spent time outside of work learning about the latest advancements in their respective fields.
My grandmother was a corporate tax specialist for AT&T, she certainly seemed to enjoy doing her personal income taxes (and those of some of my uncles and aunts). This was way before Turbotax, Taxcut, and the variety of programs that have made it less unpleasant.
I don't think excitement or passion or pride require fanaticism either. When I ask my friend who paves road about a project he's particularly proud of, he'll have an answer and it's not because he's paving roads in his spare time.
What is different about some other professions is that there are ways to develop that passion during apprenticeships or entry-level jobs while learning from those with greater experience. Mastery is far easier to acquire with a teacher on hand who can give timely, guided feedback and correction.
Actually, it does appear in other industries. Many of my friends who are designers do various sorts of art in their free-time, whether that's drawing or even the same type of photoshop stuff they do at work. One of the best CNC machinists that I know has come into the shop on weekends to experiment with making ornate snowflake ornaments, folding knives, and motorcycle attachments on the mills... His job consists of machining parts for cable laying machines, but he enjoys the challenge of figuring out how to manufacture complex parts so much that he does it in his free time.
I don't know any accountants or optometrists very well, but I wouldn't be surprised if the passionate ones spent time outside of work learning about the latest advancements in their respective fields.
> Competency doesn't require fanaticism, and no employer should expect that their employees devote their entire lives to their occupation.
True, _competency_ doesn't require fanaticism, but if you want to _excel_ at something (and don't want to end up hating your life in the process) you had better really enjoy it because you're going to have to put in several thousand hours of learning. Spending all that time exploring your particular field of study won't be a problem if it's something you love, and you're more likely to continue exploring it and keeping yourself up-to-date if you're interested in it. Thus, passion makes a pretty good predictor for success among high-achieving employees.