Difference Between Passion and Profession

Introduction

Passion is a term relevant to every individual. It can be categorized on the basis of love, job, or career front. Every person's life is connected with a particular sort of passion.

Profession is the term that has become the most important part of our life. The value of an individual depends on his/her type of profession.

Passion and profession totally vary from each other. Passion differs from a profession in many ways. But, having a desire or passion for a career or work front has a direct relationship. If you want to turn your passion into a profession, it is important to strike a balance between the two. For example, a boy pursues an interest in drawing artistic things. Here, drawing is his passion. A few years later, he completed his degree in fine arts and became an artist. With his hard work and dedication, he transformed his passion into his lifelong profession.

Passion vs. Profession

Passion is a strong commitment, feeling, or devotion to something or doing something. It can be related to love, anger, lust, jealousy, etc. Passion depends on the action of the person. If an individual does any sort of action to fulfill his/her passion, the efforts bore fruits with valuable results. It also includes dreams, continuous efforts, dedication, willpower and belief, and faith in oneself. A dedicated student study is a perfect example of understanding passion. The description of two students on the basis of their nature can be signified. Student A is the most intelligent student in the class. He studies 16 hours a day, sleeps for 8 hours, and never leaves a chance to utilize his free time. He wants to score the highest marks and gain a scholarship. Whereas, student B is an average student. He only studies for 2-3 hours without any extra hard work. He also wants to score good marks and gain a scholarship. In both cases, student A has a strong, passionate nature because of his dedication and commitment. Whereas, student B has a weak passion, which leads to his poor results. Multiple barriers and obstacles will come in a person's life. If an individual faces the challenges of life with courage and willpower, he/she can reach the path of passion easily.

Profession is a type of work or job done with work skills and qualifications. In a profession, the employer is paid monthly on the basis of wages or salary. Being professional is the most important requirement in a job or profession. It requires one to maintain professional behavior and practice beyond one's moral ethics. Professions need special skills and training. Not every profession can be done without any formal training, courses, or skills. For example- Doctors, Engineers, and Professors possess high skills of knowledge and training. It takes a lot of time to learn and acquire these skills and engage in a professional job. There are many types of professions and various career paths one can enter and live a significant life. Types of professions include- Engineers, Scientists, Dieticians, Teachers, Architects, and many others. People have choices of a diverse range of professional fields to select their career path.

As passion and profession vary from each other, it is important to understand their variation and differences.

Difference Between Passion and Profession in Tabular Form

Parameters of Comparison	Passion	Profession
Definition	Passion is something which we do for our interest and with self-motive to satisfy our self and our dreams.	Profession refers to doing work or a job with skills and formal trainings.
Motive	Passion is something which we do for our interest and with self- motive to satisfy our self and our dreams.	Profession is done to earn money and to run a house and family for basic needs and for survival.
Requirements	Passion is pursued for free and does not require any financial stability.	Profession requires behavioral patterns, learned skills, and training to make a living.
Age Criteria	There is no age limit to fulfill one’s passion. It can be pursued in childhood, teenage, or even in old age.	Profession is basically done after completing education. Nowadays, job-seekers have increased due to lack of education and increasing competition.
Synonyms	There are multiple synonyms of passion- Desire, Affection, Enthusiasm, Persistent, etc.	Synonyms of the profession are- Career, Occupation, Field, Job, Employment, etc.
Antonyms	Antonyms for passion are- Dispassionate, Hatred, Resentment, etc.	Antonyms for the profession are- Unemployment, Unskilled, Breach, etc.
Meaning	Passion means giving your best according to your ability. It includes what the world gives to you.	Profession means something best for an individual to fulfill his/her basic wants. It includes what you give to the world with your abilities and skills.
Evolution	Profession includes promotion of positions. It is difficult to change professions from time to time.	Profession includes promotion of positions. It is difficult to change professions time-by-time.
Work	Passion involves a person working on his/her dreams for self-satisfaction.	Profession provides services to the people.
Examples	J.K. Rowling, despite belonging to a poor family, pursued her passion for writing. Her passion gave her the idea to write the most renowned book, Harry Potter, and gained recognition.	A boy wanted to become a doctor. He studied hard and completed his MBBS degree. Then, he became a doctor engaging professionally and practicing in his own hospital.

What is Passion?

Whenever the word Passion is used, terms like desire, stubbornness, love, etc., come to our mind. Passion means invoking a feeling of commitment, emotion, dedication, or devotion to one’s mind. One should always follow one's passion to achieve greater heights in life. But it is important to find the right passion in your life to achieve it. Finding a suitable passion according to your will is like returning back home after completing the world tour. Imagine what would be the reaction of Phileas Fogg from the book “Around the World in Eighty Days” after completing the world tour. Being a fictitious novel, a passionate person can still relate to that feeling. Being focused on passion gives the person leadership qualities. Passionate leaders with a strong purpose inspire other people to follow the path of passion and achieve it, facing all the obstacles and challenges of life.

 There are many examples of passionate leaders who achieved their goal of passion and set an example for the coming generation:-

1. Mahatma Gandhi- ‘The Father of the Nation’ dedicated his life to achieving the goal of freedom for the people of India. The main motive of passion is to suffer and face problems to fulfill our desires. Gandhi’s sufferings and hope of getting freedom one day make him the most passionate leader of all time.

2. Helen Keller- Helen Keller can be named as ‘a woman of passion’. When she was only nineteen months old, she lost her sense of hearing and eyesight. Imagine a room with no sound or noise filled with darkness. Can you live in the room? The answer is no. It is impossible for a person to reside in it. But Helen Keller suffered her whole life and was determined to pursue her passion. She never lost hope and became one of the most renowned American authors. Her works are recognized worldwide now and inspire people throughout the world.

3. Thomas Elva Edison- One of the greatest inventors in history, Thomas Edison invented the electric bulb in 1878. His passion in electrical and mechanical science made him do maximum experiments and sleep little. Despite the failure of many experiments, he worked hard and managed time to make great inventions. These qualities of Edison influence people to reach their aims and accomplish goals.

4. Malala Yousafzai- A Pakistani activist who began her fight against child labor, set a perfect example of choosing passion over fear. At the age of eleven, she had already started fighting for the rights of women. Later, she founded the Malala Fund. Her father supported her in every path of life, which motivated her to do more and make a change. Women from across the world admire her passion and take inspiration from her.

5. Robert Frost- The American writer Robert Frost had a passion for writing. He wrote several poems and novels which depicted the life of England, nature, and the sufferings of the ordinary people. He was influenced by famous poets like William Wordsworth and John Keats and continued his passion for writing. His writings are read by teens and school-going children.

What is a Profession?

A profession is a work or job in which an individual utilizes his gained knowledge, research, skills, and abilities in the interest of others and is paid monthly either in the form of wages or salary. As quoted by David Maister, “Profession is not a label you give yourself- it’s a description you hope others will apply to you.” Professionalism is relevant in any field or profession. Professional behavior and ethics lead to gaining the trust of companies and firms. To engage in a profession, one should have higher educational qualifications and years of training in the respective field. In other words, the profession is giving you years of hard work and effort to create a career ahead. In medieval times, professions were categorized into three parts- Medicine, Divinity, and Law. But now it has emerged into vast areas with multiple choices available to people, especially the young generation. The areas include Physician, Lawyer, Dentist, Engineer, Architect, Teacher, Accountant, Electrician, Mechanic, Plumber, Artist, Journalist, Firefighter, Scientist, Carpenter, Social Worker, Actor, etc.

 Every profession has its own value and importance. The difficulty level of the profession depends on the dedication of the professional. For example- If A wants to become a professor of the subject, say, English, then A should have perfect conversational and writing skills in the language. A should complete his/her Ph.D. degree in the English language. It will take about 8-9 years for A to become an English professor.

 It is important to note that an individual must choose his/her profession to reach a career path. It is also necessary to understand the concept of different professions without criticizing any of them on the basis of any parameter.

 In a profession, the field expects particular standards from the job appliers:-

1. Being Confident- An individual must be confident and must deal with any matter with punctuality and professionalism. He/she must face the companies, meetings, interviews, etc., with confidentiality.

2. Dressing Sense- Personality and appearance play a major role in harnessing the attention of colleagues and clients. An individual must be dressed neatly and decently to maintain the standards. Facing clients with a strong personality marks a good impression among others.

3. Being Responsible- If an individual unintentionally creates a mistake in the given project or work, he/she must rectify their mistakes. The individual should be responsible for the work performed by him/her and maintain cordial respect between colleagues.

4. Knowledge- The individual should have the required knowledge related to the work to perform his/her job more efficiently. The knowledge should be gained vastly, not minimally. As quoted by Alexander Pope, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”

5. Honesty-  The most important standard of the profession is honesty. Honesty makes an individual professional. One must be honest in his/her work. Any dishonesty can lead to the downfall of the individual in the profession, leading to a negative impact in life.

Main Differences Between Passion and Profession In Points

• Passion is a strong commitment, feeling, or devotion to something or doing something. Whereas a profession is a type of work or job done with work skills and qualifications.
• Passion is derived from the Latin word ‘passion’, which means suffering. On the other hand, the profession is derived from the Anglo-Norman word ‘profession’, which means occupation.
• Passion is driven by the desire and personal interests of a person. While the profession is driven by qualifications, financial stability, pensions, schemes, social positions, etc.
• Passion has no age limit, rules, or other boundaries for fulfillment. However, the profession is based on some rules and regulations and specific boundaries. Every profession has certain age limits.
• No matter how dedicated you are towards your passion, it doesn’t lead to career growth. In contrast, a profession leads to the ultimate career growth of a person, like better placement jobs, promotions, stable environment, etc.
• Health doesn’t affect one’s passion. On the other hand, poor health can directly affect the profession, leading to the downfall of career growth.
• Passion is an extraordinary skill present in an individual. In comparison, the profession needs the required skills and abilities.
• A person is not paid for his/her passion. But in a profession, the individual is paid in the form of wages or salary.

Conclusion

In short, passion depicts the feelings or emotions of a person for anything, and profession depicts the work-life of an individual. It is evident that passion and profession vary from each other a lot. However, one can convert his/her passion into a profession with certain plans and efforts. It is believed to be the most wise thing to do. On the other hand, by analyzing his/her interests, an individual can turn bread-earning jobs into a passion.