Need for Passion?

A freshman at Stanford University asks:

In short, I'm extremely gifted when it comes to physics and mathematics, and I enjoy doing physics and mathematics as well. Hence, I am seriously considering a career as a physicist. Nevertheless, I fear that I lack the passion to be a great one. It's not that I enjoy other areas of academics more than physics, it's just that when I have free time, I prefer listening to music than reading physics textbooks. Therefore, how would I know if I have enough determination and passion to keep me going in the career of physics?

Let it be known, I have never, ever read a physics textbook for fun. Unlike some of the other QDers, for me physics is my job, it is not my hobby. Granted it is a job that I love, but my free time is spent on anything but physics. I also know that I am not alone. Many of my peers feel the same and have struggled with exact question you're asking. None of us can say for sure, but I can say my friends are not only good physicists, they are also amazing people with talents and interests that go far beyond the call of physics. Obviously, I can't tell you if you'll be a great physicist. But if you get that tingle of excitement when you answer the physics question correctly on your problem set or if you are inclined to do a victory dance when a computer program you wrote or gizmo you built works correctly, I can tell you will be happy as a physicist.

Comments

[Alejandro Rivero]

Perhaps Adler is the right prototype?

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0505177

[debbie]

I would like to second Caolinn's answer! We do have outside interests and outside passions and in fact I would be taking part much more in carreer week as a quantum diarist except for the fact that I'm getting ready to leave on vacation. For the 11th consecutive year I'm going to the Strawberry Music Festival near Yosemite california--and you can be assured I will bring neither my laptop nor any non-fiction whatsoever! I will bring two very psyched children, several copies of sheet music from my grandfather and my trusty mandolin. See http://www.strawberrymusic.com for more details--the festival is as I type this is only 24 hours away!