Unlocking passion creates outliers

Ken Robinson's new book is about how 'How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything'

Why is this?

Because it enables you to achieve success. Malcolm Gladwell recently popularised the 10,000 hour theory of success in Outliers. Gladwell's theory shatters the myth that some people are inherently more talented than others, attributing success instead to sheer hard work. His examples include the Beatles and Bill Gates, who had spent 10,000 hours programming before he'd even hit college.

That is why enabling people to find their passion changes everything. Nobody has the determination to rack up 10,000 hours doing something they don't enjoy. Yet when you are passionate about an activity, you positively want to invest as many hours as possible - because its not 'work' or 'practice' - it's just you, doing what you love.

The 10,000 hour rule and its emphasis on hard graft explains the virtuous circle that people are good at what they enjoy and enjoy what they are good at.

If education did a better job of helping people discover their passions, then maybe Gladwell's subjects wouldn't be such outliers.