Simon Sinek’s official website credits these exact two sentences to him. That is direct support for the attribution, although this check did not establish the first book, speech or publication in which he used them.
“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion” Simon Sinek — credited verbatim on his official website; original publication occasion not established.
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Evoking the world of Simon Sinek — Leadership author and speaker. Theme: "Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
The source
Document
The Optimism Company official homepage
Form
A quotation explicitly credited to Simon Sinek
Original occasion
Not established
Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.
This modern English quotation appears on Sinek’s current official website, which carries an explicit copyright notice. The short passage is reproduced for identification and commentary, not as a public-domain text.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Context
Why it mattered
The contrast fits Sinek’s larger distinction between doing a task and understanding the purpose behind it. His Golden Circle model treats a person’s or organization’s reason for acting as more important than its outward activities; the quotation compresses that approach into two ways the same effort can feel.
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Simon Sinek writes about leadership and the purposes that make people want to follow an organization. His books include Start with WHY, Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game; he also founded The Optimism Company.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Sinek, Simon. Quotation on stress and passion. The Optimism Company, official homepage. Accessed November 9, 2026.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/working-hard-for-something-we-dont-care-about-is-called/