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Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The reality isn’t quite so simple. A job that you were once passionate about can change in a multitude of ways, and it may not be what you once thought it was or what you hoped it could be.

It can be difficult to think about giving up a role that we feel passionate about, but sometimes the only way for true growth and betterment is through change. To make the process a little easier, researchers have decided to explore exactly what holds us back from leaving old passions behind.

New research revealed that fear of judgment keeps people from walking away from jobs they love.

A recent study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, consisted of two parts that sought to analyse perceptions of people who leave jobs they’re passionate about, both about themselves and others. In the first part, professionals who reported that they had passion jobs were asked to imagine giving up that career and predict how others would judge them for making the choice. The researchers found that, overall, people believed that others would judge them much more harshly than they do.

In the first part of the study, the participants worried that, by walking away from a job they’re passionate about, they would be seen as less competent, and that others would view their moral character more negatively. They also believed that others would see them as less likely to reengage in another passion pursuit in the future.

The researchers suggested that these expectations are harmful because they keep people from striving towards future opportunities and goals, and instead make people more willing to stay in a job that no longer suits their needs and wants.

The researchers found that people were much less critical of employees who left jobs they felt passionate about.

Another set of participants was asked to be third-party observers and share their thoughts about the same professionals from the first part of the study, and how they would perceive those individuals for leaving their passion pursuits.

People judged these professionals far less harshly than they expected. While the professionals had more of an emotional weight in the decision and saw leaving these jobs as a failure, observers were more focused on the new opportunities and possibilities that would be available to the professional.

The researchers wrote, “Giving up on a passion can be difficult. After all, the time and effort invested are hard to part with. But it isn’t necessarily giving up on yourself. It may be the first step toward something more aligned with who you are.”

Consider this: What if the job you are passionate about simply doesn’t pay enough to allow you to thrive or achieve your dreams outside of the office? Should you feel forced to stay in the job if it doesn’t serve your personal goals simply because you like where you work or what you do? It changes the perspective a bit, doesn’t it?

Though pursuing a passion-fueled career can be exciting, there can also be major downsides.

Part of the reason why passion jobs are unsustainable is that workers are often underpaid and undervalued, yet overworked. However, they choose to stay because their love for the job outshines all the negatives.

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Erin Cech, associate professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, told the BBC, “If someone is that committed to the work that they’re doing, and see it as a core part of their identity, it’s harder to come to terms with the day to day toxicity of one’s workplace.” If you choose to leave the job, it can feel like you’re losing a part of yourself.

When deciding whether to leave a job, Cech suggested monitoring exactly how much work you put in and if you feel you are adequately compensated for it. She also said to examine how much rest you’re getting and how much time you spend outside of work doing other meaningful things. She added, “If either through explicit or implicit expectation, you aren’t able to recuperate from the work that you’re doing, that’s a big red flag.”

Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.