The “meaning” in career orientation for a gifted or passionate teenager. They don’t care. But where is the meaning then?

The question of meaning is never central, never mentioned. It only appears indirectly in the process of making a choice. In fact, as we’ll see, it’s the parent who assigns “meaning” to the professional goal their teenager presents, and the whole issue stems from that.

The first thing to understand is that meaning is: what means something to someone.

So, you see the problem. It’s a catch-all concept, and trying to define it for someone else is, fundamentally, meaningless. Yes, exactly.

In fact, the issue I’m addressing here applies both to gifted teenagers and to students with a main passion.

When someone already has a passion, and the professional path they should follow seems clear, you think everything is on track.

That’s a mistake.

Both the parent and the teenager will discover this later, when they start having trouble focusing, working, etc.

Want to test it out?

Ask them to explain their choice to you in detail.

And then, ask them why that specific path, that specific career, and not another?
(I mean right now... yes, it might change in 10 years, but for now, they need to make a decision for tomorrow. And yes, I know you’re probably waiting until the last minute...)