Associate editor Lee Su Shyan’s commentary “When young workers quit jobs to pursue passion ^_ and their parents support them” (Nov 4) quoted a financial expert as saying that the reality of pursuing one’s passion may not always be the most financially rewarding experience.

Life’s choices should be looked at in their entirety and not as a dichotomous categorisation.

I once had a parent complain to me that his adult son didn’t have a regular job. The young man was giving tuition at home and earning a decent income from students who benefited from his guidance.

Because his salary was not the sky-high one the parent thought he was capable of, the parent considered him to have no secure future. What stood out was the parent’s insistence that only a “regular” job could provide long-term financial security.

Any sensible person, especially someone who gives tuition for a living, will certainly laugh at such an out-of-touch notion of secure employment and financial security. The young man is certainly following his passion to be a good tutor to students who truly need help in their studies.

So choosing to follow one’s passion may not always lead to deleterious financial circumstances, but it has its own rewards too.

Thomas Lee Hock Seng (Dr)