But the essence of the parent comment was that the immense amount of effort required to become proficient in these trades would be insurmountable if not for a d

But the essence of the parent comment was that the immense amount of effort required to become proficient in these trades would be insurmountable if not for a deep passion for the subject. I'm proficient at many things that I hate doing simply out of necessity or profitability. Unless we define "deep passion" to include necessity and finding ways to make ends meet, then it doesn't apply. If we do define it that way "deep passion" proves too much fails to be a useful descriptor. It seems like less of a leap to suggest that we often have the luxury of using choosing our passions to become proficient at.