Which author is associated with warning about the passion paradigm's potential downsides?

• A. Cal Newport
• B. Daniel Pink
• C. Angela Duckworth
• D. Adam Grant

Answer: (A)

Following a pre-existing passion as a career can backfire. The warning is that waiting for passion to guide every career move can misdirect you or slow you down, and you may end up in a path that isn’t sustainable. Cal Newport is the author who flags this risk. He argues that real progress comes from building career capital by developing valuable skills, then letting genuine passion grow from meaningful work rather than starting with it. So the best answer is the author who emphasizes that pursuing passion first isn’t a reliable recipe; skill development and deliberate practice lead to lasting fulfillment, and passion tends to follow effort and mastery. The other authors discuss motivation, grit, or workplace dynamics but don’t foreground this specific warning about the downsides of the passion mindset in the same way.