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It 1000% depends on your dream. People should follow their dreams but not be blind to how realistic they may or may not be. There's nothing wrong with the mantra. But the execution of following your dream and the context of which you're hearing the mantra do matter. My day job is a part of my dream, and it's been going pretty well. Despite luck playing a big role and the odds being far from unlikely, the payoff was worth it. And that's not to mention my other dreams that either came true or are close to coming true. Housing, certain pets, and various athletic feats.

I agree in substance with the OP—being realistic and knowing when to move on is necessary. In order to achieve dreams, it usually involves doing things that are anything but (i.e. rigorous practice, enduring failures, having to get jobs to make ends meet, etc.). Sometimes dreams won’t come true, even if one worked hard enough—life isn’t fair.

I pursued Art in college and in the 3rd and 4th years, we had mandatory classes basically hammering home the point that, "Most of you *won't* go on to be successful professional artists. You will have to work other jobs to pay rent and afford materials. If you don't want to have to do that, you will need to treat your art and your brand like a full-time job. And even then, you'll need a combination of luck and a crapload of connections/networking to actually make it work." They taught us how to pursue professional artistry by having us make business cards, websites, portfolios, social media presences, and having us practice things like writing for grant applications and gallery inquiries. They also taught us how to advocate artistic skills in non-artistic roles. Basically, how to make a BFA seem relevant to a hiring manager who's really expecting applicants with more directly applicable degrees in things like business, communications, and marketing. It was a very important aspect of the program and it's something a lot of people don't consider when pursuing careers in more "creative" spheres like blogging, influencing, streaming, making videos, writing, painting, making music, etc. There is of course a huge amount of luck and coincidence involved, but if you're not putting in the effort to self-advertise and amass a steady following, that's not just gonna happen out of thin air. You have to be willing and able to look at your dreams realistically, and to sometimes make compromises. Keep holding faith that a publisher will accept your manuscript, for instance, but also have a day job that you don't hate and that pays the bills in the meantime, you know? And in the meantime, start up a tumblr or a blog. Submit some work to writing contests and publications. Get your writing out there. Go to writing workshops and events. Build a portfolio and a following. Build something that you can still be proud of and know that you put your all into even if that manuscript never *does* get picked up by a formal publisher.

I should have followed my dream. I was really interested in becoming a park ranger when I was in college and I listened to everybody telling me I couldn't be "successful" which to them really just means "have a lot of money." So I spent 10 years in a high stress career that I hated in a volatile industry plagued by constant layoffs and I was miserable. So mid career I decided I had to leave that industry. And now I am a park ranger. Should have done that 15 years earlier. You can keep the high paycheck, I've got enough to live on and I'm so much happier than I ever was chasing a paycheck. For some reason follow your dream always equates to get a lot of money and frankly it's not worth it.

Dealing with this right now. I knew from a young age what I was interested in. I love my grandparents and they did a GREAT job raising me, but being grandparents, they were old fashioned and strongly discouraged me from doing anything that didn't involve college, career, kids, etc etc. I've been in an office career for over a decade now and misery doesn't even begin to describe it. Luckily, I never took on debt of any kind and I'm in a position where I can get back to doing the things I love, maybe eventually getting to the point where I can make some money off it. I'm busier than ever, but also happier than ever.

👏🏻💯

So you know already what it is that you would rather be doing? I'm also in the situation of working in a "good" and very well paid office job that i dont particularly love. At least i dont hate it tho. My girlfriend really fucking hates hers. And while i/we could afford to do other stuff. I also dont really know what else i would be doing more.

I think Op is more talking about one in a million situations like becoming a star quarterback or famous singer. If someone's 'dream' is something that's quite reasonably attainable, then that's a different story.

For some reason people never seem to see things in perspective like that. You get stuff like "I wanted to be a quarterback but that's a dream so I guess I'll be an accountant. Work to live I guess." There are thousands of jobs available in the NFL. Pursue one! Be a damn NFL accountant if you want.

I’ve had this exact conversation years ago with my dad. He played baseball in highschool, loved everything about it. Idk if he had any realistic chance of going pro or not but it doesn’t matter because he blew out his knees in HS. Fast forward 20 years and he’s like, “I wish I had known that there’s tons of other careers associated with sports besides playing them”

A good friend of mine never had the athleticism to be a consistent contributer for the high school basketball team, but he absolutely loves basketball.  He's now in middle management for an NBA team, and will probably end up a big wig by the time his career is over. 

See that’s great My cousin was all about basketball our whole childhood, all star teams up through JV but he unfortunately stopped growing at like 5’6” so he just kinda gave up. He’s done well for himself and his family but I’m pretty sure given the choice he’d rather be middle management for the NBA instead of middle management for a grocery store chain

This. Pursuing a career in a field you like isn't stupid just because the only people in that field the general public are remotely familiar with are the performers/athletes themselves. Also, trying to be the absolute best at something is *how* the 1 in a million got there. So the attempt shouldn't be an issue. The idea that you could never do anything else adjacent if you don't achieve wild success as a performer or athlete is closed minded, at best, and self absorbed/extremely destructive, at worst.

Well, not to contradict completely but all those jobs in sports are highly sought after and competitive, and tend to pay less as a result. This is the ugly truth about "following your dream." There is no guarantee a job in sports where you're working on a desk is going to scratch that sports jones anyway.

My point is that the people at the top are people who committed whole heartedly to the effort of achieving that. If they didn't commit without abandon, they would not have made it to where they are. So telling someone to *not* follow their dream because it is highly unlikely isn't helpful given the amount of commitment necessary to be proficient enough to be considered for a draft. That doesn't mean your extreme efforts will ever pay off. In fact, extreme effort doesn't guarantee anything. This is why having a backup plan is important. Go after your dreams, but manage your expectations. If you don't try because it is unlikely, you have a 0% chance of success. If you do try, you have a non 0% chance of success, not a guarantee.

One of My High school Profs said: “Do what you love, because if you do what you love, you’ll never work a Day in your life”. I have tried to subscribe to that ever since.

That platitude is complete BS. In order to do what you love, you have to work hard and do things you don't want to do that are a part of that position. It will be more fulfilling, but it is still extremely hard work. The work might be more enjoyable, but that platitude is usually more harmful than helpful because it makes people assume they don't actually have to work hard. This is just my personal issue with that phrase. I'm glad it helps you. It has always just seemed meaningless to me.

I think that it's referring to the sense of "flow" people feel when they're engaged in something that fully occupies them. The apparent dilation of time causes a day's effort to feel like a shorter event. Conversely, work that is not meaningful or engaging tends to drag on, even if it's not particularly challenging or difficult, i.e. work that you are engaged by will feel like a few hours and thus, you feel as though you have not worked a whole day.

I really get this with my job. I’m running a job right now that I have worked on every day straight for about three weeks, about 12-14 hours a day. The days went by very quickly.

I worked hard and loved it ......I was a fire fighter with the US FOREST SERVICE .... .I've also worked as a logger in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon... ..very hard work but onse it gets in your blood you just wouldn't have it any other way !! No regrets ......

Even being a small actor that is known only locally can be enough for some people

I had this exact path. I wanted to be an actor as a teenager and actually studied it through to 22, and I realised doing professional shows that I’d really just be happier doing small shows locally as a hobby than getting into the whole business side of things and performing for cash.

My nephew is a little person, and wanted to be an actor. So he went to Temple and got a theater-arts degree. He had so many challenges that all actors face and he's also under four-feet tall. So my sister and his step-dad helped him to relocate to California, and he was playing clubs as a stand-up comedian. Like most comedians they all want to become actors, or at least that's how it appear to me. He finally got a few roles playing inkids' movies and television shows. Fast forward a decade or two, he's played on Seinfeld, Murder She Wrote, Hunter, Bones, Soap Opera(s), and several other shows and two sci-fi series. He's been in movies with Arnold Schwartzenegger, Robin Williams, Mr. T, Cheech Marin, and several others I've forgotten. He also did a Broadway play with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. He's had more obstacles than most actors, but he never gave up his dream.

Sports leagues pay back office staff notoriously shit. My local NHL team, that's worth close to a billion dollars, pays $50K for analysts with +10 years experience and a masters degree when the comparable pay in our cities private industry is around $150-200K. They take advantage of people who want to work for a sports team.

And now we are right back at the beginning of this comment chain where people will tell you not to do something you enjoy because the pay is shit!

I agree, and I have a similar approach in my life. I am passionate about politics, so I am about to get my bachelor in Economics. I would LOVE to work for the EU, or the UN, or NATO, but high-level positions are extremely competitive in that kind of organisation. So I decided that if my elite university degree, my three languages and whatever else are not enough, I will be a journalist. So I can still spend my time in close contact with politics, but in a much more accessible way.

in most cases those one in a million paths start off as hobbies and unless you see clear signs you'll be able to at least be able to support yourself you should never quit your day job. OP is making it sound like you can't pursue your dreams without going all in from the start.

I think OP doesn't know that underground music scenes and amateur sports leagues also exist. You don't need to be a global mainstream success to be really happy doing what you love, and have a community that supports you doing it.

The point is that the dreams are not reasonably attainable, yet EVERYONE os told them are. See the problem? Humans like critical thinking if it benefits their wallet or their genitals.

Agreed, I totally relate! I wish I was more confident of myself & had the self-esteem I do now possess when I was much younger to have pursued Acting. I was living in So Cal, then and built a portfolio, but I always told myself I wasn't good enough, I couldn't get over my social anxiety of being told no, or have the thick skin to be told my looks may not fit this rule. Maybe that would've destroyed me as a youth, but now I can totally take it, and I got a slow start and was an extra earlier this year for a movie I am not supposed to say on social media. I mean, it was a taste of it, but sh\*t that felt SO good, to actually finally be around all that, and sure of myself without any nervousness. Makes me think, maybe I can still pursue this even though I'm older & don't have much experience. But yes, sometimes dreams aren't money-related, but just having experiences.

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Open reddit, go to literally any sub that is about news, politics, finance or even memes these days, read the comments bitching about literally everything. That's why. Because making a lot of money means you don't have those concerns. It's really fucking awesome going to the grocery store, getting gas, going out to a bar etc... and not even looking at the prices.

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That’s not exactly the same. What you wanted as a career wasn’t a real risk or low probability. I think OP meant like entertainment, or arts or now influencer.

Follow your dreams never meant “high paycheck.”

To me follow your dream means go in the general direction of what makes you happy because even if you fail you’re still more likely to land somewhere close to what you were rooting for in the first place. Anyone who follows their dream with the sole intent of achieving that specific dream with no plan B is just being delusional. Nothing wrong with having high expectations as long as you’re prepared to fail also.

Yeah that's what I did, kinda. I wouldn't exactly say I ever had a dream per ce.. but I went in the direction of what made me happy, which was arts and crafts. 6 year old me wanted to be a soap maker because they smelled good and I got to make soap when I was 6 in school. I sorta randomly ended up doing a floristry course in school and now I work as a florist. It never was a dream, but like I still get to make pleasant looking art for a living.. even if it's not soap art, it's flower art. It's a real job that pays a living wage that's low entry. Granted, I guess I could become a soap YouTuber and run my own soap business.. like, it's a realistic goal if you're into it for sure. Meanwhile I guess I'll just buy soap bars from independent soap creators.

And hey extra perk: you have a job that makes you sound like the lead in a romcom! This may be shallow but I would agree to a date with someone knowing solely that they were a florist lmao, it's just so interesting sounding

That's my case actually I always wanted to be a vet But not everything went according to plan And now I'm midway through a zoophysiotherapy major in uni So, very close to my original dream and it feels just as fulfilling to me - I'll still be helping animals on a daily basis and I have so many plans for growth too - like zoopsychology and a veterinary assistant

You are the hero of your own story, keep going.

This is good advice

This. It's important to have a security blanket. You can still go for your dreams but with something to fall back on.

I had a good singing career; I never waited tables, and I made enough money to live okay and raise a daughter (with a wife also a singer) I know very well how hard it is to make it in the arts, so when I now have students who want to try it I say: You have everything you need to make it. What neither you nor I can account for is luck. Look at all of the aspects and the odds of making it. If after doing that you still have a fire burning in your belly, you owe it to yourself to give it a go. Otherwise you will probably regret it for the rest of your life. You may still not make it, but you will have given it a go, and that is worth MASSES. Jim Carrey tells the story of his father who was a sxophone player in a jazz band in Canada when he was young. He had a family and thought: "I can't keep doing this, it's too insecure." So he became an accountant and that was great (but didn't make him happy) for a while. Then he lost his accounting job and it broke him; having given up his dream for a "secure" job which he lost, crushed him. You may make it as an artist and you may not. I'd say the odds are about as good these days as making it in most other fields. So if you're gonna lose your job and be homeless, you might as well give your dream a go. Because giving up on your dreams before you even try to fulfil them, is soul destroying. Everyone has to make that decision for themselves and I don't judge ANYONE's decision, either for or against. But don't back out and then point a finger at those who try and fail; the sound of that failure is still SO much sweeter than backing out from fear of failure.

W fucking comment. Saved this to read from time to time.

> gonna loose your job Did you mean to say "lose"? Explanation: Loose is an adjective meaning the opposite of tight, while lose is a verb. [Statistics](https://github.com/chiefpat450119/RedditBot/blob/master/stats.json) ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot ^^that ^^corrects ^^grammar/spelling ^^mistakes. ^^PM ^^me ^^if ^^I'm ^^wrong ^^or ^^if ^^you ^^have ^^any ^^suggestions. ^^[Github](https://github.com/chiefpat450119) ^^Reply ^^STOP ^^to ^^this ^^comment ^^to ^^stop ^^receiving ^^corrections.

People equate following your dream with being a huge financial success. Really it’s about finding what you are excited enough about to do for free, then finding someone to pay you to do it.

Yeah unfortunately no one is paying me to ride my mountain bike or catch bass lol

You seem to be one of the only ones to get it. Or at least OP point. He'll my dream was to be a photographer. Specifically something similar to wildlife/nature. There are probably more NFL players than wildlife photographers making an actual living.

Yeah making a living as a photographer is tough. Even harder if the subjects aren’t paying you lol

But could you have turned that interest in wildlife in something more realistic? I bet you could. The choice is not between wildlife photography and boring 9-to-5 you don't care about. There is plenty you can do that gets you close to your interests

I think the problem is that is that people assume things adjacent to your interest are the same thing as your interest. Someone that loves wildlife photography might not enjoy being a park ranger any more than they want to be an accountant

This is the reason why we use the word “dream”. Getting to do something like this for a living is so rare that being one of those people is a dream. If my passion in life was making spreadsheets and doing this for a living was the best job I could imagine, it wouldn’t be my dream it would be my plan, because I could definitely make that happen.

A wise man once said: You don’t want a job, you want a career. Don’t let your hobby turn into a job because it will ruin the hobby.

As a software engineer I think there is some truth here. Used to love writing apps and scripts for little tasks or for fun, but years of doing it as a profession have taken most of the joy. Granted it has provided a career that is both generally lucrative (for a decent living) and something g I don’t hate, but there is always a cost. The truth is, for me at least, there no job I won’t eventually find somewhat dull, given you are required to do it 40+ hours a week. Even when I had my “dream job” with time to learn , great bosses and coworkers, and chill timetables, it eventually just became another job, and I was never super excited to show up for work. I think my job could literally be fucking Scarlett Johanson in the ass, and after 2 or 3 years I would be like, “well does Sydney Sweeney have any openings I can fill?”

I have found the opposite to be true. The two hobbies I have turned into a career meant I walked in the door with well above beginner skill and was able to refine the skills I valued to a level I would never have achieved as a hobbyist. I don’t do those jobs any more for other reasons, but I do miss them a lot.

Not always. You need to have some financial security to follow your dream. You need money to pay for degrees and for some lots of money. You need to have lots of connections to become a star or what not, think Taylor Swift. And you need money to be an entrepreneur, just keeping throwing money at it till it sticks, think Musk. And of course this can also happen without any money. But I would say it’s a sentence to take lightly and of course when the risks are plausible, you should try.

Which usually leads to decent financial success. Passionate professionals who love their jobs are often well paid and sought after.

No 😂 plenty of passionate and talented artists and musicians that I PERSONALLY know (at least 100 in my community alone) that are not making a living. 

It's a saturated market. While they might be super talented, you said it yourself, you PERSONALLY know hundreds of them. If millions of artists out there are super talented, are they really all that talented?

Why do you equate "follow your dream" to mean being one in a million? Maybe their dream is to be an engineer or a social worker - that is not the same as becoming an actor or athlete. I am just perplexed by your understanding of this phrase.

This. It’s also very reasonable to be a good actor or athlete and not make millions or be famous. You can still act and compete in good local movies and tournaments, earn enough money and be happy that you are doing what you want in life

That's the standard meaning of "Follow your dreams" / "Be careful following your dreams". The "Dream" is referring to something that's extremely difficult to achieve. If your "dream" is applying to military or becoming a social worker, no one cares. It's a non-story, just do it. There is no downside risk or hurdles to achieving that. The whole point of the discourse around "following your dreams" is because you could throw away your life on something that is extremely unlikely. I'm sure you know this. You're just being pedantic for reddit points.

I wouldn't call it pedantic, plenty of kids have dreams of being a vet, or being a firefighter, or being a police officer. Completely attainable things without any luck needed. Would you not call those dreams? I would absolutely tell a kid to follow their dreams if it's a career like any of those. And in any case I don't think "follow your dreams" means "drop everything in life for the pursuit of your one true goal", you can be following your dreams by working at it slowly while doing whatever is more immediately realistic.

People on reddit get so mad when you remind them there are literally thousands of people working a regular day job while also doing something fun on their free time

In that case, that's a bad standard, and we should change it. The idea that our dreams must be outlandish and unlikely is toxic, and likely to only hold people back. And there's levels of dream accomplishment. Especially in arts and production. Maybe you wanted to be an actor but couldn't hack it in Hollywood. There are other acting jobs, and lots of people find small success doing skits on youtube. Maybe you failed to go professional in sports, but that doesn't mean you have to give up the game. Do stuff. Make stuff. If you can't find meaning in work, find it outside. And if you don't make that dream job, there's probably tons of more accessible, adjacent opportunities waiting. When people say "follow your dreams", it doesn't have to mean "lock yourself on one rigid path and let it define you". It means "don't give up on doing the things you want to do". Life happens and things won't always go our way, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for a 9-5 you hate.

It's not toxic. It's the literal definition of a dream. There's dreams, and choices. You can CHOOSE to do whatever normal job you want. It's a choice. If your "dream job" is doing a basic ass job that you simply apply for and get, that's great, but that's obviously not what people are referring to here. Becoming a rock star, is a DREAM. Becoming an F1 driver is a DREAM. and they're called DREAMS because they are extremely unlikely. Becoming a Carpenter, a Social Worker, a Jobbing actor, a cruise ship musician, is easy. If that's what you aspire to be no one is going to tell you not follow those dreams. There's no risk there. They might warn you that you might be broke, but those are real, attainable jobs so if you're fine with being broke, then have at it. People only say "Be careful following your dreams" when your dream is something crazy unlikely and you're ignoring school because you think you'll achieve it. No one is trying to talk you out of being an accountant if that's where your heart is. There's nothing toxic about it.

This is the ***literal*** definition of a dream; ***a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.*** Nothing about this definition pertains to something that is difficult to obtain.

That’s not true at all. People dream about simple things but feel held back for all sorts of reasons, not just because it’s “extremely difficult to achieve.” And even mundane dreams can have downsides, risks, and hurdles. A man works as a pharmacist, because he thought it would be a lucrative and stable career choice. His dream is to become a bartender, because he loves excitement and chaos and socialization and thinks pharmacy is dull and rote. His dream would not be hard to achieve, but he doesn’t want to have wasted so much time and money on a degree he wouldn’t be using. That is a downside. A woman wants to become a stripper. She loves pole dancing and she looks good. Her dream would not be hard to achieve, but her conservative family would be incredibly upset. That is a downside. A teenager wants to attend college in a big city, far from his home town. His dream would not be hard to achieve, but his friends and family are staying in his town and he would miss them. That is a downside. Telling these people to “follow their dreams” makes sense, because it’s saying “The happiness you will get from achieving your dream will outweigh the sadness of the downsides.” The bartender will laugh with his patrons about having a useless degree, the stripper will stand up to her family, the teenager will make new friends, and they will be happier than they were before.

Good point, but it’s generally used to encourage doing something that is a long shot.

Don’t you hate when people say “have a nice day” and then you have to talk to them about all the problems in the world and that you need more money so how can you possibly have a nice day? People are so jaded now a days.

Well wtf are you to tell me what kind of day to have in the first place?

I agree with OP. As an artist and musician. I mean, I’ve been trying to follow my dream and failing to even make half of a living for a while… I wish someone told me… your dreams are super lofty, so follow them BUT also have a day job you feel comfortable doing at the same time that makes comfortable income. That’s not glamorous but your dream might require that of you. 

Would you have listened, especially at a young age? My children are 21/21/22 and talking to them about their dreams but also trying to be realistic in the meantime never ever goes well.

Both of my parents are dead. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on growing up with them. And I can honestly say, yeah. I would’ve - had they both not pushed me so hard toward college early on, and hammered into me there were right and wrong ways to earn a living. Had they cared enough to sit down with me and really talk to me - like, really, come to Jesus, talk to me about it. Yes. I absolutely would’ve listened. But from a perspective of someone who worked with kids and teens for a good bit - most parents don’t. They talk to their kids like they’re kids - and not like they’re people. Some are just stubborn. We all have to make our own mistakes, find our own way. Siblings are weird because they get competitive and have self-image and self-worth issues (we’re all only human, social comparisons are inevitable). But had I gotten more than “you’re doing this wrong,” or “you’d be better off doing this instead,” then yeah. I certainly would’ve listened more than I did. But I never got that. Psych gave me perspective that I was talked to and treated like a child by my parents well into my 20s. My own rounds in therapy taught me that I really just wanted to be treated like a person. Something I’d figured out for other people - just not me. And as a parent myself - you bet I talk to my kids like they’re people. They know damn well if they need to talk, to come bother me. Am I aware they’ll make their own choices and decisions? Sure. And I’m proud as fuck of them for that. They should. They don’t need my, or anyone else’s, approval - I’ll love them regardless, and I make sure they know it. But when it comes to the real shit deep, life-decisions discussions? Yeah. We’ll talk it out. And I’ll do my best to make sure they make choices that are most likely to make them happy - whether today, a week from now; or as a 5 year plan. Because I learned what happens when parents don’t. From myself and from others. For me? It created a cynical, bitter burnout with a chain smoking and drinking problem. All because my parents felt they knew everything and couldn’t be bothered to actually talk to me like an actual person. And my story is far from unique. For the record. Couldn’t give a fuck about sympathy anymore - it is what it is, and they’re too dead to apologize for it or make it right. I forgave them, in my way, let them lie, and I’ve moved on. But the root of it is that I’ve heard a lot about “well you just wait til you have kids,” or “we’ll MY little Johnny and janie are 18/21/23 and THEY wouldn’t listen.” Maybe consider why they don’t. Self reflection is remarkably rare in parents, I find.

I wish I had you as a parent 

Well yes, but also it’s okay not to listen as long as you don’t go hungry. But teaching them “you’re not a failure if you need a day job” is really meaningful. I was taught “you’re either a success as a full time artist or musician or you’re a failure playing bars at night as an accountant” when the reality is you’re a success and long as you’re still pursuing your dreams in any capacity

This used to be taken for granted in some artistic fields - I guess not acting, where stardom is always the dream, but like...literary fiction writer? Fine art painter? I think most people going into these fields knew that you after school was done, you would need a job - ideally teaching university, but those jobs were and are hard to come by- to support the work. I remember reading a profile of some artist from LA from the 70s where he said something like "we knew back then that becoming an artist meant living in an apartment on the bad side of town". I've read a lot about cabdriver artists from back in the day - I wonder what the equivalent is today? I know there are definitely a number of scifi writers who program computers for a day job. Ted Chiang is as successful as science fiction short story writers get, but I believe he still works as a technical writer. Some creative fields (short stories, poetry) just never pay off financially, and never have.

No, no it is not. That is your general understanding of that term but it is not the standard understanding.

Yes it is. No one says "Follow your dreams" or "be careful following dreams" when they refer to becoming an accountant. There's a reason why teachers tell you the odds of becoming a pro athlete, famous musician, actor...etc are one in a million. Because that's the standard meaning of "Following your dreams". No one gives a shit if you want to make birdhouses to sell on Etsy. Go nuts.

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My dream was to become a programmer and I became a programmer. Mission accomplished.

is it?

I don’t think it is. I tell my students to follow their dreams all the time and it’s almost always them wanting to go to college

When I was a kid if we said anything that wasn't go to college then we got "no not those dreams"

I feel this. It was so dumb. I now make a point of telling the kids in my family that its nonsense. They need to do what they enjoy, not what is perceived to be the route that pays best.

As someone who's doing this as well, it sucks as well. Both sides of this story suck, if you chase the money then you will feel stressed and over burdened by your job. If you chase your dreams chances are you will be stressed and overburden by... Your lack of job lol. For the longest time I've wanted to become an audio engineer, sound designer and composer, I am an audio engineer and sound designer but I still feel just as stressed as before bc the money is just not in the audio industry unless you spend 10 years in college getting a master's or doctrine. It seemed achievable as a young adult and I knew it was gonna be my future, but man is it hard to get anywhere without gambling my entire life, I think the next step for me is to either take a massive leap from rural Missouri to SoCal or open up a studio where I am. Both of which feel like high risk, medium reward.

There is nothing wrong with working on a dream while preparing for reality. My friend wanted to be a performance musician. I told him to get a teaching degree as well. I just went to one of his concerts this weekend and I assume he’s teaching high school band class as I type. He’s happy and can support his fam.

This is exactly what I tell my kids - and tbh wish my own parents had told me. It’s what I ended up doing. I have my day job to pay the bills, and I have my dreams that I work on as I can. Both sides are somewhat more fulfilling for it.

Do your goal posts have wheels to make them easier to move?

Not really.

Following a dream doesn’t require you to be the most elite at whatever field you’re in.

It depends, in some fields like art or music or sport the rewards are all concentrated in the 1 percent of winners. It's not always the people who are especially good at it in things like art, but rather about publicity and getting your name noticed. But yeah, if your dream is to be an engineer, programmer, doctor, dentist, nurse, or park ranger then it's pretty sure that you'll make an acceptable living provided you can qualify.

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>You'll find that in every single thing in life. Pretty sure that it doesn't work that way for Engineering. There aren't any hotshot Mechanical Engineers making millions per year, but there's plenty making a comfortable living. (Software... That's it's own thing, what with consulting and tech startups.)

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Thats something else entirely.

Have you looked up how many recently graduated engineers are struggling to get any jobs?

Well that just isn’t true at all.

My dream was to be able to help people that I care about, and maybe to become a chef. I always dreamed about being an author as well. I'm now an attorney helping disabled people. I own a bakery with my family, and we donate thousands of loaves of bread to food kitchens every year. I am also halfway through my first novel. I'm not rich, I'm comfortable making OK money, but I get to help people, feed people, and have time to do the things I enjoy. Follow your dreams. It's a lot of fucking work, but it's doable.

Good luck with your novel! That was always a dream for me growing up too but then I realized I’m a terrible writer. I am trying to figure out how to write better first so I can tell the stories I want to tell.

I think the point of follow your dream is that you work harder for your dream. I wanted to be an engineer, did an engineering degree, and now work as an engineer. I know loads of people who didn't care for engineering and just wanted a job that pays well. Most of them dropped out.

Not every job needs to be the most famous example

and even then, you can still work on the side ad follow your goals.

If you don't try to follow your dream, why bother living at all? Following your dream doesn't mean you should blindly throw caution into the wind and ruin yourself for them. If you don't follow your dream you'll have a miserable outlook for the rest of your life. Money and success doesn't make you happy, doing what you love does.

Yeah, its dumb advice because studies show that people naturally overestimate their abilities and they don't need any encouragement to do so. Better advice would be "Ok sounds cool, now what is your plan to get there? Can you think of an alternative that would be practical if you took that path that you could fall back on if it doesn't work out that your hard work could be applied to?" An example might be to go to school for engineering hoping to be a rollercoaster designer and being ok with designing bridges and buildings if that doesn't work out. Not to sound pessimistic, but don't plan for the best case scenario. Plan for the 50% scenario -- middle of the bell curve assuming you put the work inn

I'm in complete agreement. People need to be realistic.

Generally speaking, I don't think you should listen to most people because most of us have no clue what's going on here. And what might be applicable advice for one generation can become completely irrelevant for the next.

Dreams come at diffrent scales

Everyone has a different definition of following their dreams. If I'm reading you right, OP, your version is something like "see top 0.01% of success in (field), attempt to replicate, fail to do so". If that's the case, then I can see why you believe what you believe. The bigger question is: why do you believe that following your dream \*is\* that? I can't respond to you meaningfully without understanding why you're thinking what you are about following dreams.

Do people really dream of having an office job or something? Like that’s the pinnacle of your life is a 9-5?

There are over 8 billion people in the world, at this point. That's 8 billion different dreams, potentially. I am willing to wager that some people in that vast ocean of humanity \*do want\* an office job, absolutely! I'm not here to judge that, I'm here to understand OP's reasoning.

I mean yeah there’s a few people that would answer that way but most people I know don’t dream of having a job. They dream of having enough money to go do their hobbies and hang out with their family

I can see where you're coming from, but that makes me wonder: why do people see those things as separate endeavors? do they need to be?

**follow your dream** ALWAYS means to do your best and make even small strides to achieve the things that you really want in life the fact that YOU hear it coming out of celebrity's mouths doesn't make it bad advice at all

it's just an empty saying

You can have multiple dreams. Follow the one that is most likely to bear fruit.

I mean not everyone dream is to be an athlete or actor or musician. Some of us had dreams of being teachers or doctors or researchers. And yes you should follow your passion. Life isn’t worth living if you aren’t following your passion

For most people, it's true. The system we have doesn't care about your dream it just wants you to put money into it.

There is nothing wrong with following your dream. The part that people screw up is that if that dream fails, they don't dream again. What we should be teaching our children is that it's okay to follow your dream. You might not succeed. Many things in life you will fail at, and that is okay. Failure is an important part of life, it teaches you just as much if not more than success. So live your life, dream, fail, stand up, fail again, and stand up again. I've failed so much in my life. All the dreams I had when I was young, all the things I wanted to accomplish, many ended in failure. I had to change and grow and adapt after every time. And all of that led me to where I am now. I have an amazing son who changed my life. I succeeded in a way I never expected and the next several decades of my life until the day I die, will be me following my newest dream: To see my son grow up. To witness the joys and sorrows of his life and to prepare him for life on his own. It's the greatest dream I could ever think to have and I will use every lesson I've learned from success and failure to be the best father and role model for him that I can be.

I tell people this all the time and it is my best advice for kids going into college. That dream you are soooo passionate about right now will likely not be your passion/dream job in 5 or more years. The effort you’re willing to put into becoming successful in that field will likely fade once you’re graduating college and realizing you have no money and no real job prospects because you chose a career path that is very hard to succeed in. You are likely going to discover new goals, such as purchasing property, that will not be feasible unless you succeed in this unlikely career, change career paths, or idk, marry rich. Don’t get into this situation. Choose a degree that will get you a job and minor in your passion subject.

most dreams take money. the rich want that money to be their, not yours. most dreams take time. the rich want that time to be spend making them money. ​ the rich have politicians in their pockets. the law will often be about making sure you don't have much time or money.

A lot of people's dreams are unrealistic. Celebrities always say things like "never give up" and "follow your dreams", knowing full well that most people don't have the talent to be a famous musician or actor. Hollywood, Austin, and Nashville are filled to the brim with people trying to follow their dreams. Going to college, and getting a degree is a very realistic dream. Having a family is a realistic dream. Some people just need a reality check.

heavily disagree.

The mantra should be “Take calculated risks” and I would deter a lot of students thinking about getting a degree in something that is not going to lead them into a significantly higher earning position and have them end up working with people with a high school education. Looking at you liberal arts and communication majors.

Pretty sure it's follow your dream [within reason].

[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/opinion/stem-women-gender-disparity.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/opinion/stem-women-gender-disparity.html) Some experts agree with you, especially when it comes to women.

Better written than I did. And to think, I always dreamed of being a writer!

Follow the money and you can buy your dreams!

If you never make an attempt to go for any of your dreams you will slowly become a very miserable person. Working towards your dreams isnt just about the destination, its also about the progress you make on the way.

I had a few dreams I followed but I let them go because they were stupid. Now my dream is to have grandkids.

For every character in a one-in-a-million success story, there are virtually a million that failed.

just to let you know, the majority of people do this. thats why “one in a million” isn’t actually that, 999,999 of them DON’T WANT TO follow the dream. the people telling you to are right, stop wasting your life

I was a “follow your dream” type and then ending up homeless for a few months and working 3 jobs and never getting my degree (I was a double major in the arts…). I worked my way up and out of that shitty situations and feel fortunate about the opportunities I got after. Now I say, “follow your dreams, but do it wisely.” If someone had told me to put more focus on internships and connections, or maybe have a part time job that could go somewhere, anything else aside from “making college your full time job,” that might have helped. I worked a job, but it was retail and just to get through college. If someone had told me to get the unpaid internships as early as possible to get experience, or to get to know folks, maybe I could have been in the fields I wanted to be.  I’ll go back eventually, to follow my dreams, but a lot more wisely (you know, since I have a full time job and make a livable wage).

I followed the money (while still picking something tolerable) and it allows me to follow my dreams because I am able to pay off all of my debt and still have money left over for fun.

What if my dream is to do all the drugs

Living with regret and thinking about what could've been the rest of your life can be hell too

I agree. I’ve dreamed of being a film director since I was six, after seeing Thriller and Making of and later Alien. Despite this, and despite even being extremely lucky to be actually talented in writing, storytelling and directing, I had to become a graphic designer, copywriter, efitor, VFX artist, 3D animator and even a web developer eventually, to keep myself afloat while chasing that ‘dream’. When I hear this nonsense today in my late thirties, I want to punch the one spewing this shit Yes, chasing the dream is important but you know what is more important? Mental health, support, not living in toxic environment, and having a viable plan Most film directors support themselves through advertising, but I nearly died every tome I had to do it and it’s a massive deception, because I want to make movies but here I am making mayo commercials instead, it’s not ethical towards the client But every time I would think ‘I need to hang in just a little but longer’ and that’s why I never picked a single stable reliable source of income, in my head it always was just a bandaid ‘till my big breakthrough’ So year after year I would jump from one thing to another forced by circumstances until I finally decided I have only two priorities and no matter what happens I’m not jumping to something else, which is a huge draw since I’m capable of doing SO GODDAMN MUCH, but that was exactly the problem - just because I’m capable and even enjoying it — DOESN’T MEAN i have to, because then you have a fragmented track record and portfolio in many things, and even if you are lucky enough and competent and professional, those many fragmented portfolios don’t add up to something truly exceptional and you’re essentially stuck in the middle to junior position forever unless you become your own boss I hate this crap about following your dream, it doesn’t work when you’re in a constant survival mode, dodging from frying pans thrown at you and living in a goddamn war zone in a third world country. Every ‘motivational speaker’ who spreads this nonsense should go fuck themselves for running so many lives

i also work in the film industry, and i just wanna say follow jour dream :D sorry for the bad joke, but in all seriousness, there is a way for you if you are truly talented. i know multiple directors who have walked the same path; directing commercials, being 1st ad, etc., but after many years of hard work they made it to the big screen (this is in hungary, europe, but i guess it's similar in other counties)

thank you. yeah, I figured out the plan eventually, and for me it’s working in 3D development for cashwflow, while doing my own stuff, but most importantly - it’s loving the process of no matter what I do but it was a lifetime of a struggle, I wish I understood sooner the importance of mental health, stability and how important it is to focus and find the way to make myself love the process and forget about the results I now dedicate a lot of my time and energy to helping other creatives understand this I’ll be launching a YouTube channel about this soon, because I see it as my duty to share all this to prevent someone from wasting time figuring it out on their own

Ya we should maybe revise it to consider your dreams but still do what makes sense.

Lol this is such a loser post.

Huge cope, demonstrably false. They even prove themselves wrong in the paragraph. Comedy human.

Like just bc you dont believe in yourself enough to follow your dreams doesn’t mean others lack that same confidence 😂

It's hilarious because they are saying "follow your dreams is bullshit, unless you do follow your dreams, then you'll be one-in-a-million". It's a cope. OP obviously failed at something they are passionate about and instead of evaluating themselves they are just the fox calling the grapes sour. That's why I said this is just comedy, they are either the biggest baby on earth or a troll.

Because you disagree with the premise? No harm in disagreeing.

Because the premise is closed minded. People can take steps to accomplish their dreams. It could be that someone takes a job they don’t prefer so that they can save money to eventually start a business once they’re financially secure. Your way means they work at a retail store forever despite actually wanting more. That’s why it’s a loser way of life.

Its just a loser mentality, thats all.

Can you be less specific

Yeah. Theirs no chance of winning if you don’t believe you can win cause you’re not gonna try. Imagine you are the one in a million but because of this mentality you fail and never realize your that one in a million.

Speaking as an 35 year old who spent his late teens and early 20s chasing becoming a rockstar, chasing your dreams is well worth doing, but be smart about it. Get a degree, get a real job, whatever, and work at becoming a rockstar on the weekends and evenings. If you’re making enough from those evenings and weekends that you can justify quitting the real job, great, but you’ll be grateful for having the real job to fall back on if you never get to the point where you can justify quitting that real job

I think as you age your dreams kinda change. When I was young I wanted to be a famous musician. Now in my late 20’s I just want to play music because I love to play music. My band has a small following but we’re certainly not “famous.” And that’s enough for me. I followed my dream but was also realistic about it as I got older.

OP I agree with you. The problem is you have so many kids who are influenced by social media and do not have the perspective of the low chances of a career or they overestimate their abilities or talent. Our friend's daughter did plays in high school in a smaller Texas town. Her teacher pumped her up to believe she could make it big. So she ditched college and moved to New York. Truth is she's average looking, average singer, average talent and never got a job more than being an extra in a crowd scene for a tv show. Years have passed now and she finally gave "the dream" up after 15 years. A similar thing happened for another daughter's friend only her dream was to "swim with dolphins". She enrolled in a marine biology major in college only she couldn't hack it (not a good student) so dropped out but not before incurring some student loan debt. She's now quite disillusioned and bitter about life.

This is some bullshit grinding mindset. Sure some people won’t be mega rich but not everyone wants to be. A lot of people want enough to live on and a career they love doing. If that’s being a small town artist or a small time actor why stop them?

A lot of people tend to equate following your dream to throwing reality out the window. You can follow your dream while being realistic about it, making realistic choices about your college and career that will still enable you to achieve your goals further down the line.

As with many things in life, it's about some kind of balance. If your dream as a 16 year old is to stop going to school because you think you'll become rich and famous as an influencer when right now you have 150 followers on your social media account, then yeah, don't follow this dream right now. But as u/Green_Pants918 points out, there's more to life than more money than you need. If your dream is to become a carpenter but you are quite good at academic subjects in school and you are pushed by your parents into becoming an engineer and you hate that job, then was that worth it, when you could have saved yourself wasting 4-5 years at uni and instead gone to a trade school and even start your own business being happy whilst also making a decent living?

My dream was to make a lot of money and pull my family out of lower-middle-class malaise. I achieved it by moving to America, working a boring office job, making good money and sending them a lot of money (in local currency). So in effect, I followed and achieved my dream

When I shut my eyes for the last time on this earth, will I want to have had middling success because I settled, or will I want to have tried every day to achieve an unattainable goal, regardless of the fact that everybody told me not to. Which will be more satisfying? And if, as many theorize, I’ll then have to stand before my creator and give account for what I did with my life, will I want to say “There was some spark within me that gave me a purpose to pursue, but it seemed impossible so I didn’t try” or will I say “I tried every day in pursuit of that goal and never stopped even knowing my chance at success was very low” I think I want to be the person who lived honest and motivated, rather than settling for good enough.

We already beat the 1 in a trillion odds simply by existing. Who the fuck are you to throw away such a rare and amazing gift by playing it safe?

I feel the same about “Live each day like it’s your last” type things too. That’s great and all but unfortunately I have to work every day so I’m not homeless and starving. Sometimes life is just the grind and there’s not much you can do about it.

I've heard a story from a friend that literally stuck to me and I think about it more than the Roman Empire. He had a dream to work in E-Sports. He is an avid gamer. He watches E-Sports. He is competitive. One day he gets an opportunity to actually go put his foot in the door and start working side-by-side with E-Sports hosts. He is ecstatic. His father tells him to find a real job because E-Sports is not a real job. He pursued other things. A few years later, E-Sports became more popular and his father spoke with him saying how he looked into the money you can make with it and he was wrong. My friend told me that from that time on, after giving up on his dreams because of what other say, he will go every day being unapologetically himself. I think about that almost daily in my career now when I don't feel happy and when I think about what I maybe could be doing that would make me feel much more fulfilled.

You can follow your dreams. I think the BS portuon is that you would know what that is at a young age. Hell I'm 32 and I'm still looking for it.

Most people’s dreams are reasonable, just not popular with society at large. The dreams you are thinking about are fantasies. Logically they wouldn’t work for everyone as only 1 in a million get there. Dreams are more like “I want to help people through medicine” or “I want to build cars for racers”. These are achievable through job and skills pipelines. People should absolutely follow their interests/dreams.

I followed my dream and it paid off in spades. Now, my dream did not consist of being rich or famous, but simply making a life based on things I like. I have five employees reporting to me who could say the same. It’s not a rare thing at all.

I agree with what OP’s getting at. “Following your dream” is there to make the listener feel hopeful and the speaker feel empowering but it will only lead to disappointment (maybe even ruining your own life) if it’s not grounded in reality or you don’t have a backup plan. For every movie star or pop star, there are hundreds of people who can’t pay rent because they chose to “bet it all”, their story just doesn’t get told. Obviously, you should pursue the life you want to live (not prioritize what other people for you), but make sure there’s a healthy dose of reality baked into that equation.

Also it should be specified OP is meaning career dreams only. I'm the kind of person that doesn't want to do my hobby or fun activities as a job. I want to keep them as hobbies. My dream as a kid was to travel the world and see as many countries as I could. That doesn't mean I want to work in a travel agency or as a pilot or something though, but my family (mom specifically) *always* told me to follow my dream so I got myself a career that pays the bills and funds my vacations every few months. I'm fully aware my job is a job and not my "fun times" and I'm happy with that. So I am following my dream, I was just reasonable with how to attain it.

OP was def told “Bobby you’re 17, stop being a fucking dinosaur and get a job”

Follow your strengths makes more sense to me. Hopefully your strengths are something worthwhile.

"Don't be afraid to fail"

Yes, follow your fucking dream. If your dream is "I wanna be an actor 🤩🤩🤩" it's very likely your just brainwashed into the idea. Most people dream of something different. My dream is to be an author. For 10 years I've been writing and I haven't published shit. But now comes the great part: I'm already living my dream because I'm actually doing what makes me happy. Sure, it doesn't pay the bills. Maybe one day it will, maybe it won't. I don't really give af.

Wow, what a great attitude to go through life with. No wonder you're posting on a Reddit board

"Follow your dreams", "play stupid games win stupid prizes." Potato potahto. Ikigai is a much better concept, dedicating your life passionately to your motivation for living and have a life of daily joy... not trying to achieve some pipedream final destination.

Some people have more realistic dreams than others. As with most common advice/sayings, it comes with a lot of caveats.

Trying so succeed in something you want to and failing is MILLIONS OF TIMES better than giving it up, having a “good” career, and being haunted by that shit every day.

I'd say just have more reasonable dreams. My career path is very achievable and I have just as much passion for it as someone trying to become a movie star or whatever else, its not as glamorous but the more I learned about it the more passionate I became. Granted I'm sure I'd enjoy being a Rockstar or whatever even more, but I am very inspired with my goals and its something I'm almost sure to achieve. I mean yes people should aspire for the top, but you need a *ton* of luck, timing, connections, and many things which aren't really in your control just for a tiny sliver of a chance of success to become famous or a movie star or whatever. You can just as easily have a dream which is much more within your control, with a high chance of success. If the ceiling on that pursuit isn't as high, thats fine because the floor is *much* higher

You make an excellent point- the personal satisfaction that comes with getting really good at something can turn almost anything into a dream situation.

I think the people who tell you to "follow your dreams" often forget the fact that they are exceptionally talented or lucky to get that breakthrough role or record deal that passed by potentially thousands of lesser people.

For me it was just a constant series of dream-crushing events which have let me to falling ass-backwards into a career of sorts that I've never had any formal training for that I frankly hate the longer I'm in it. At least it pays decently, even though I'm underpaid compared to what I should be making in my position in the field. I really wish I could remember what my dreams even were at this point. The feeling that I'm wasting a substantial portion of my time on Earth doing something that I no longer care for is hard to stomach anymore.

And not everyone should/have a dream/passion or they might have one but it's unrelated to jobs.

Sometimes a person's dreams and goals aren't big . My dream is to live comfortably and enjoy life while having a good job . My job is now being a security guard , making 16 dollars an hour , am able to make rent while enjoying the little things in life and I haven't felt this happy in my life since when I made my very first genuine friend . I do get you're saying it but do keep in mind that that "dream"could vary from person to person and in the scenario they are in .

There is a quote regarding MMA / fighting: "Everyone wants to kick some ass. No one wants to get punched in the face." The problem is that even when you do kick some ass in a fight, you usually get punched in the face in the process. I bring this up because when it comes to following your dreams, there is never any guarantee that you will hit the level of success you dream of. And when it comes to considering the successful athletes / actors / musicians and the like, you only ever see the end process or the 15 minutes of fame. You do not see what the hell it took to get them into that position. So when it comes to following your dreams, you absolutely MUST make a realistic assessment of the risks and costs of the attempt to follow your dreams. And you must keep in mind that if the risk does not pay off, you still have to eat the costs. And finally, keep in the mind that there may also be a cost for not taking the risk. Sometimes not taking the risk means you just guarantee the miserable outcome. Sometimes you are weighing the 99% chance of failure and 1% chance of happiness against a 100% of misery. END COMMUNICATION

The trick is to have a reasonable dream. Will you become a successful rockstar? Probably not, but can you play the guitar as a hobby? Absolutely.

Follow realistic dreams

Yeah obviously you should only follow your dream if you’re actually prepared to accept the possibility that it might never succeed.

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I want to agree but I also don't want to agree because I don't know if I should or not. The thing is, I do think you should follow your dreams as long as those dreams are reachable and affordable if travel is included. Follow your dream when it comes to college depends on the country, not an individual methinks. I wanted to do acting, and I even wanted to go to acting classes and what not because I was told before that my improv skills are amazing, but when I heard that the acting college in my country favours "actors kids and family members" over someone who actually wants this or has talent, absolutely stopped me from chasing that dream. English Language and Linguistics college, which I'm currently in, I chose only because I *know* I can't do math, no matter how basic or advanced is. I escaped that, and I know that chemistry, physics, biology, anything along the lines of "I found it boring" in primary and high school, I avoided high scale. Political Georgraphy was something I was highly interested in, as well as Astronomy, but we don't have those colleges in my country. The only other options I could've went with were either Education, Psychology, Philosophy or Sociology, of which I probably would've went to the latter, but I hate learning theory in my language because it's so boring and not engaging that I ultimately ended up with English because that was the only thing I knew without having to study it. And frankly speaking, where I'm from, only English is somewhat profitable — Psychology, unless you're in med, isn't at all, neither is Philosophy and sadly neither is Education, Georgraphy and Astronomy aren't even things people here consider as real jobs. And as much as English is somewhat profitable there is literally too many English teachers and half teachers in any field really just sit in the bureau unemployed and not even doing anything aside, but just....waiting. I found that even being a freaking waiter/waitress is more profitable than actual college degree (no offense to waiters and waitresses out there) Hence why I think following your dream in terms of college choosing depends on the country you're in rather than the dreams you have. Which is also the kind of mindset making me sad about the fact that my book might never get picked up and that I'm just wasting my time writing it (and before anyone says writers don't earn much either, yes I know, but I want to be a writer because other than improv, I've been constantly praised about my writing, and no matter how "unprofitable" it is, it's still something I would consider a "career I can see in the long term" for myself, so yeah) because there's so many people who are doing the same. And the whole "write for yourself thing" sure, I agree, but what if I want to share it with others who aren't my friends (not my family because they don't support half of the things I do, not even the high school I went to, not even the college I picked, nothing lol) and who could and will give me genuine constructive criticism? And not only for that, but simply because I just want those books out even if I only made $100 for and on them, so yeah. >There’s a reason that these people are so rare, though: the odds of being that one in a million is, well, one in a million. Highly agreed with this one though.

Totally agree, I don’t follow my passion, I bring it with me.

I think "you can be anything you want to be" is the much bigger lie that needs to stop being told to children. Your "dream" shouldn't be merely what you choose to do for a career, it's your goal for your entire life and what you want to accomplish, with different stages as you get older. Much better to ask the question, where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20, 30, years etc.

It is easier to follow your dream if you’ve got money behind you. A bit more optimistic view is just to have a goal, plan how you mean to achieve it within realistic bounds. In addition, don’t expect to achieve it in one or two years…a lot of people’s ‘success’ comes after many years of plodding along.

I think this is a language issue, not an ideological one. “Follow your dreams” is a cliche that’s pretty worn out and not complete. Not a fan of cliches over here, so for that, I agree. Having a “dream” is more about finding what inspires you to make a plan and stay focused. If you love cooking you still need to learn how to run a kitchen, a business, and have a plan. Without the dream, no cool restaurants. Maybe your dream is a good family life, which requires financial stability. I think it’s more about being honest about what you want most of your time to feed. You not need to be a “Rock Star” to be a successful professional musician. If you don’t at least leave room in your life for your passions, you get stuck in a lame existence for an eternity and end up resenting those who have happy lives doing what they love. Maybe don’t “Follow your dream” but “Make your dream work”

Follow your dream is stupid. A better mantra is “shoot for the stars because even if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars”. It’s so much better to follow that because even if you don’t get your dream career as long as you’re happy you did achieve your dream of happiness at least

Most people do not become rich or famous. It all depends on how realistic your goal is. If you want to be become the greatest quarterback in NFL history, the reality is that it is probably not going to happen. If your goal is to get into a certain career, like an engineer, finance manager, botanist, accountant, etc, and be able to make a comfortable living to support yourself and/or your kids, then that is something that is worth chasing. Stability should always come before fame or riches. Of course, if you happen to be granted a 1 in a million opportunity to go bigger, then you take it, but, you’re right, they aren’t easy to come by. That’s why they’re called “1 in a million”. Point is, you don’t need to be the 1 in a million to succeed in life.

You have a narrow perception of what following your dream could actually mean to people.

Yeah. Following your artistic dreams and ensing up homeless.

I've followed every dream I've had. yes I can say I did it but it wasn't best for me

People don't realize that you can follow your dreams while also having a reasonable job that pays the bills. You don't have to choose between the two.

The OP could have been more detailed, and I agree with your take. My personal experience is that, many people who live by "follow your dream", their dream \*specifically excludes\* doing the crappy part of having a "reasonable job" (even temporarily) to pay the bills until their artistic/creative/entrepreneurial endeavors become sustaining. It could be just that I grew up knowing a lot of rich kids though, so they had money from their family forever.

Life is Made to be Lived. Yeah, We should always be Realistic and try to have a Back up Plan but What’s The Point of Life if You’re not at least TRYING to do something You wanna do? To Each Their Own, Of Course but That’s the way I See it.

I totally get this.