Everyone is on a different part of the spectrum. There was the hustler or “ambitious” one who makes their whole life about work. Then lately there’s more young people completely dissolutioned on the supposed “American Dream” and just do the bare minimum to stay employed.

I think you need not necessarily passion, but a little bit of pride in what you do to keep moving and not making over a third of your best years into a soft prison. You can be prideful of a job you otherwise find mundane. But, the times of “work above and beyond and you’ll be rewarded” is also over and we need to accept that, unless you’re working for yourself (and you’re playing an even harder hustle in that case anyway).

I’m not gonna say “balance is key”, becsuse it really depends on your lifestyle. but I think most people need to find a dial between 20% and 70% and figure out where they lie for proper work-life balance.