Follow your bliss

Follow your bliss isn't as much in fashion as once it was. If your bliss constantly changes because of novelty bias, it is only fear of missing out. Rather than Nietzsche's long obedience in a single direction; rather than consistency, habit and even less than perfect discipline, which outweighs bliss and will; you just go in circles, right back to where you began. God's grace to persevere does not require a person to like what they are doing or think their way to triumph. It requires successful action.

Misaligned incentives combined with bliss can cause harm. People can love to teach, or love to honour their family or their history. People can love to honour their country or people they admire. But if the surgeon teaches a procedure that is out-of-date or actually causes more harm than good, bliss causes harm. The surgeon can love to earn a good living or be a pillar of his community or have people look up to him. All of these ideals cause bliss but still don't help patients as much as they might, while blinding the surgeon to the need for change. Or his critics can be wrong in their data, or their opinions and their bliss of loving to criticize authority or wealth or western medicine. Ultimately, people can vote with their feet, but the herd can be wrong too.