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How to Feel Passionate About What You Are Learning Even When You Don't
The science of manufactured passion, motivation engineering, and how to ignite interest in any topic.
Ray Blakney
November 26, 2025
In partnership with
Hi, this is Ray.
Let me confess something.
There have been moments in my life when I needed to learn something and my passion level was about the same as a wet sock. Taxes. Complex software manuals. Certain books people swear are “life changing” but feel like reading warm oatmeal.
Passion is not always natural.
But here is the twist.
Passion is not something you wait for.
Passion is something you build.
Today we break down the science behind how interest forms, how to create motivation even when you feel zero excitement, and why passion is less about loving a topic and more about understanding how your brain creates meaning.
If you have ever looked at something you needed to learn and thought, “I would rather fight a dragon barehanded,” this article is for you.
Passion Is Not Born
It Is Triggered
A study from Yale University found that passions are not discovered. They are developed through repeated positive engagement.
Another study from Stanford showed that expecting passion to appear magically actually reduces motivation.
Meaning:
Passion grows from familiarity and progress.
Not the other way around.
Your brain does not start with passion.
Your brain builds passion as you get better.
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Why You Cannot Wait to “Feel Motivated”
Motivation does not show up before action.
Motivation shows up because of action.
A study from the University of Michigan found that progress increases motivation far more than initial interest.
This explains why once you start learning, everything gets easier.
Your brain rewards effort, not desire.
If you wait to feel passionate before you begin, you will wait forever.
The Three Systems That Create Passion
Passion comes from a combination of:
1. Dopamine
This is your motivation chemical.
It increases when you see progress or anticipate reward.
2. Competence
Your brain likes things more when you get better at them.
3. Meaning
Your mind attaches value to things that connect with your goals or identity.
When these three activate, passion ignites.
If one is missing, passion collapses.
The trick is to create these conditions on purpose.
The Five Step Method to Build Passion for Any Topic
This is the science based system that works even when you start at zero excitement.
Step 1: Shrink the Topic
Your brain gets overwhelmed by massive learning goals.
Shrink the subject until it looks manageable.
Do not learn “marketing.”
Learn “how to write a compelling headline.”
Do not learn “coding.”
Learn “how variables work.”
Do not learn “Spanish.”
Learn “ten phrases for ordering food.”
A study from Carnegie Mellon found that breaking complex topics into small, learnable components increases motivation and comprehension.
Small topics create small wins.
Small wins create dopamine.
Dopamine creates passion.
Step 2: Connect It to Something You Already Care About
The brain learns better when it sees relevance.
Ask yourself:
How will this help me
Who benefits if I learn this
What long term goal does this support
What problem will this solve
This activates the meaning pathway.
A study from the University of Texas found that students who connect learning to personal purpose show higher motivation and persistence.
Meaning creates passion where none existed.
Step 3: Make It Fun Before You Make It Serious
Fun is not a luxury.
Fun is a learning tool.
If you start with fun, you create emotional engagement.
If you start with seriousness, you create resistance.
To make learning fun:
turn it into a game
use humor
use creative tools
learn with a friend
turn progress into points
use a timer challenge
track streaks like a video game
Fun bypasses the frustration circuit in the brain.
A study from NYU confirmed that positive emotion improves retention and reduces resistance.
Your brain learns faster when it smiles a little.
Step 4: Use the Curiosity Spark Technique
Curiosity is the ignition switch for passion.
You do not need to love the whole topic.
You only need to become curious about one part.
Try this:
Ask one unusual question about the topic.
Find the weirdest fact about it.
Discover one surprising connection.
Look for a contradiction or mystery.
Curiosity lights up the dopamine system.
This makes your brain lean forward instead of backward.
A study from UC Davis showed that curiosity enhances memory even for unrelated information.
Curiosity is contagious inside your brain.
Step 5: Build Micro Mastery
Micro mastery is the process of mastering one tiny skill quickly.
For example:
learn one chord on the guitar
learn one phrase in Japanese
solve one type of equation
understand one piece of history
master one small technique in coding
Micro mastery creates quick competence.
Competence creates confidence.
Confidence creates passion.
A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that confidence increases learning motivation more than enjoyment.
Do something small well and the desire to continue grows naturally.
Your brain listens to your internal dialogue.
If you say:
“I hate this”
“This is boring”
“This is impossible”
Your brain obeys and shuts down.
If you say:
“This is new”
“I am curious”
“I want to understand this small part”
“This skill will help me later”
Your brain opens the learning gates.
Self talk is not fluff.
It is programming.
A study from the University of Toronto showed that reframing internal dialogue increases both motivation and performance.
Why Passion Is Sometimes Blocked by Fear
Lack of passion can hide deeper issues:
fear of failure
fear of looking stupid
fear of wasting time
fear of difficulty
fear of not being good enough
These fears shut down curiosity.
Before building passion, you sometimes need to reduce fear.
Try:
short sessions
low stakes practice
private learning before public attempts
supportive environments
positive framing
Fear is passion’s enemy.
Confidence is passion’s fuel.
How the J KAV Learning Styles Influence Passion
Your learning style determines how passion forms.
Visual learners
Need to see clarity, diagrams, and structure to feel engaged.
Auditory learners
Need discussion, explanation, or narrative to feel motivated.
Kinesthetic learners
Need to touch, try, or move to feel connected to the material.
Your personality also shapes passion:
Introverts
Need quiet exploration.
Extroverts
Need social engagement.
Logical thinkers
Need to understand systems and principles.
Emotional thinkers
Need meaning and personal connection.
If you feel no passion, you are probably trying to learn in a way that contradicts your wiring.
Change the approach.
Passion increases.
How I Learned to Love Something I Did Not Care About
A few years ago I needed to learn advanced accounting.
My passion level was negative twenty.
So I tried the five step method.
I shrank the topic into tiny pieces.
I connected it to my business goals.
I made it fun by turning it into a points system.
I got curious about how money flows.
I built micro mastery in small chunks.
Two weeks later, I did not dread it anymore.
Four weeks later, I understood it.
Eight weeks later, I sort of liked it.
Twelve weeks later, I could teach it.
Was I passionate about accounting No.
But I was passionate about mastering it.
That is enough.
The Bigger Lesson
Passion is not something you wait for.
Passion is something you create.
You build it by:
making progress
creating meaning
engaging curiosity
reducing fear
mastering small pieces
finding enjoyment in the process
Do these consistently and your brain will do what it always does.
It will adapt.
It will get interested.
It will build motivation.
Passion is not a spark.
It is a fire you learn to light.
Stay curious,
Ray