I love this passage from Bill Gurley’s new book Chasing a Dream About Jerry Seinfeld’s graduation speech:
“I can’t imagine how tired you must be of hearing about following your passion,” he said. “I say, to hell with passion.”
He suggested letting go of the idea that you must find “this wonderful thing” that inspires you to rip off your shirt and levitate like Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. “It’s a shame,” he said. “We don’t need your passion’s heavy breathing and outstretched arm. It’s disrupting your co-workers in the cubicle next to you.”
Instead, Seinfeld suggested a different word.
“Find the interest,” he told the audience. “Fascination is much better than passion. It doesn’t make you sweat as much.”
Find your passion is a cliché at this point.
I certainly didn’t have a passion that I could turn into a paycheck. When I graduated from college, I had no idea what I wanted to do.
The internship turned into an entry-level analyst position that made me realize I had a lot to learn. So I dove headfirst into every investing book I could get my hands on – One Up on Wall Street, Smart Investor, Warren Buffett Way, Poor Charlie’s Almanacetc.
Reading about the markets piqued my interest. I quickly realized that markets go far beyond numbers and data. Markets are about people, behavior, incentives and emotions.
Since I didn’t have much experience in investing, studying market history, legendary investors, and financial crises gave me a crash course.
This led me to read more about psychology, history, and biographies. Reading fiction It also helps with storytelling and creativity.
The secret sauce to improving yourself in the financial industry is a combination of communication, sales, analysis and process.
I had great mentors, but studying was by far the biggest source of strength for my career. Reading has helped me write, talk and think about markets better.
I found my interest by reading books.
Unfortunately, reading is becoming a lost art for many people.
Atlantic recently had a long piece called . End of Reading is Here:
Less than half of adults reported reading any kind of book in 2022, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, which conducted the most comprehensive survey of the nation’s reading habits. Only 38 percent read novels or short stories. A study that analyzed 236,000 responses to the American Time Use Survey found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on any given day dropped from 28 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2023. (The study examined people who read books, magazines or newspapers, listened to audiobooks, or read e-books.) Gambling has become a more common leisure activity than reading books: 57 percent of Americans placed bets last year.
This is especially true for young people:
I understand that there are many more ways to learn today than in the past. You can listen to podcasts, watch YouTube or chat with a Master.
But these are shortcuts in many ways. Reading books still has value.
Do you want to become a better writer? Read more books.
Want to become a better communicator? Read more books.
Want to become more knowledgeable about your field? Read more books.
I truly believe you can gain an advantage over others just by reading more.
Reading helps you find your interest.
Further Reading:
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