Call it Cinderella syndrome.

At least among Americans, there's this idea that your soul mate, your dream job, and a shoe that fits you perfectly is out there. You just have to find it.

The assumption is that unless you discover that perfect match, you won't be satisfied.

But new research casts some doubt on that assumption, at least when it comes to work. Some people inherently believe that they can grow to love their job over time — and they generally end up just as happy as those who seek out the ideal fit from the start.

The study, led by Patricia Chen, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, divides people into two camps: "fit theorists" and "develop theorists."

Fit theorists believe in the fairy tale: Passion is something that's found. According to a series of experiments that the researchers conducted, the majority of people are fit theorists. Fewer are develop theorists, who think you can cultivate passion, even if you don't necessarily feel it at the outset.

In the study, fit theorists were more likely to say they would take a (hypothetical) low-paying job that offers enjoyable work; develop theorists tended to say they would take a high-paying job that doesn't involve very enjoyable work.

It might seem as though fit theorists would end up happier in the long run, but that wasn't what the evidence suggested.

Read the full article "Psychologists just debunked the idea that you have to find the perfect job fit to be happy at work" at Business Insider.