Ever wondered why you are interested in the things you are?

And whether the advice “follow your interests” is really good advice or not?

Why Following Your Interests Matters: For You and for the Bigger Picture

A couple of comments from the brilliant David Deutsch caught my eye today, and I wondered if you (dear reader) might find them interesting too.

“The essential thing to intellectual progress of all kinds, whether incremental, fundamental, whatever, is interest, that somebody is interested in doing this. If they weren’t paid, they’d still do it. They’d get a job doing something else, and they’d do it in their spare time.”

“What unifies fundamental and incremental research is that someone’s interested in it. And it’s that interest that drives all progress. It’s true that fundamental research eventually, typically, eventually drives something useful as well, but not always.

And, you know, you could ask, well, if the general theory of relativity hadn’t been invented for another 60 years, let’s say, after Einstein, nothing practical would have been affected. Then it was needed for the GPS system. Now it’s being needed for other things. But perhaps if you were interested in purely utilitarian outputs, you would have delayed Einstein. But then if you take that kind of utilitarian attitude to Einstein, you would have taken the utilitarian attitude to everything and you would never have had antibiotics and rocketry and satellites and that sort of thing.

And the reason that it’s all connected is not so much that the progress in the whole of science and engineering comes from fundamental research as a sort of wellspring. That also happens.

But the main thing is that the whole of progress in human ideas is a single thing, an indivisible thing, which is all powered by interest, by curiosity, by dissatisfaction with the way things are currently thought of.”

Amazing.

Deutsch, whom I think of as a kind of living Einstein, is talking about big-picture progress: the progress of life, science, and civilisation. He describes the pursuit of good explanations as the foundation of knowledge. Any field we enter may or may not contribute directly to those explanations, but the point is to keep going. Interests fuel that.

Although his view can feel daunting for a mere mortal to ponder, I found it inspiring. It gave me a sense of validation, even permission, to follow my interests, even when they do not appear to offer anything practical or utilitarian.

I noticed an article in the Harvard Business Review this week with a headline that said something like “Be yourself is terrible advice.” It was promoting a new book. I understand the point. We all may grow to be more aware that we have many and fluid selves depending on our context and inner workings. But this is a bit like the advice that “following your interests” is a cliché or a folly. I have a different view. For some people, including those navigating trauma or complex PTSD, for whom it has never been safe to “be yourself” or even to recognise your own interests, these things are essential. They are part of personal development, leadership development, career development, and successful transition. Without them, developing a sense of self and self-trust is difficult.

Deutsch’s ideas suggest that following our interests holds inherent value, not only for us as individuals but for the greater good. Some interests may seem purely personal - surfing, music, hiking, or cooking. Yet civilisation is a fabric. We live together. We weave society together. We live on a planet supported by nature. It is all connected, whether we acknowledge it or not. Suppressing what helps us feel alive and fully human does not serve the whole. And, it certainly doesn’t seem like it’d lead to the most efficient and effective productivity strategies. Yes, I think this offers fuel for some interesting leadership conversations.

I am a coach. An HSP coach, a trauma-informed leadership development coach and my work includes supporting people through career development and transition. My interests include thinking deeply. I love to dive into ideas, have conversations about them, research, read, and explore perspectives from many disciplines. I love coaching itself: attuning deeply, listening, creating space for insight, helping people find their voice, feel better, and feel more courageous and empowered. Writing (as I do here), drawing, and time in nature are other interests that bring me alive. Still, I sometimes wonder: what is useful? What is the point? Am I being self-indulgent in some of these pursuits? What actually helps?

To Deutsch’s point, even if I never add directly to the body of knowledge or produce a “good explanation,” I am part of the larger fabric and touching lives in ways that ripple outward. That feels meaningful.

I am also deeply interested in what drives interests and what lies beneath them and what stops or suppresses them. Culture often does. So do fear, social pressure, and lack of opportunity.

There is no single part of the brain that explains our patterns of interest, though neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp identified the SEEKING system, a motivational circuit that fuels curiosity and exploration. Some of us are more inclined toward curiosity and openness than others, but interests also emerge from a complex web of factors: innate traits, temperament, early experiences, environment, opportunities, feedback loops, and the dopamine rewards that reinforce learning.

Interestingly, research suggests that many interests remain relatively stable over a lifetime. They can evolve or deepen as life unfolds, through parenthood, loss, career changes, transition, or inner growth, but core threads often endure. Some interests even re-emerge later in life if they were suppressed or denied earlier.

Do you notice stable interest patterns in yourself? Or have yours changed over time?

I believe noticing our interests is a way of knowing ourselves more deeply. Simply acknowledging what draws us and giving voice and value to those interests can be a powerful act. It can open pathways for healing, growth, self-trust, and meaningful change. And when we honour our interests, we contribute our particular and unique gifts to the shared fabric of life.

If you feel like reflecting on your interests, here are some questions to consider:

1. What draws your attention lately, not because it is useful, but because it genuinely interests you? Where do you find yourself losing track of time or feeling most alive?

2. What stops you from following your interests? Are there patterns, beliefs, or fears that hold you back?

3. Do you have latent interests you would like to bring into your life again, or for the first time? What is one small step or conversation that could support you?

4. What do you notice about your consistent lines of interest? Looking back across your life, what threads keep returning?

5. How could honouring a current interest, however small, connect to something larger, for yourself, your relationships, or the world?

If you want to explore your own interests and what they might be telling you, you can book a session with me here.

HSP coach, trauma informed, leadership development coach, personal development, career development, career advancement, transition.