Penning this column can at times be challenging: either my family hasn’t been up to anything that I can harness for material, or there’s a topic I aspire to delve into but can’t grasp my thoughts around it. Alternatively, I might have a vague idea of what I want to communicate but struggle to articulate it suitably.
Although, this is the exception, not the rule. As a general rule, the process flows smoothly and I derive pleasure from assembling my thoughts. I genuinely relish composing this column and appreciate having this platform.
However, it doesn’t ignite a burning passion within me.
Admittedly, I don’t harbour a burning passion for anything in particular. But that doesn’t mean I’m devoid of emotions. I pride myself on having a comprehensive emotional spectrum and I react appropriately to people and occurrences around me. What eludes me however is the term ‘passionate’. As per the dictionary.com definition, it signifies being impressed by, or governed by intense emotion or robust feeling. To live this out daily would be both tiresome and unrealistic. It would likely lead you down the path of severe alcohol addiction.
Alternatively, it might highlight a missing element in my mental constitution, considering the vaulting passion seen around me daily. It appears everyone is brimming with enthusiasm over something. There’s an individual or organisation passionate about every conceivable aspect of human life. From plumbing solutions and baking culinary delights to ordering glassware online, driving stakeholder value, providing customer service, alleviating erectile dysfunction or promoting sea swimming. These instances are all genuine and easy to find.
The all-pervasive nature of this ‘passion’ might put us in a spot where we’ll have to douse the nation with Xanax to tame this rampant ardour.
Or perhaps, it serves as another reminder of how a perfectly good word can be warped into a bland buzzword. (Akin to how the word “awesome” was previously mistreated). Even on social media bios, it’s now fashionable to be explicit about one’s passions. Does this imply that you’re compelled by a yen for probiotics? Does suffering from gas or heartburn render you incandescent with rage? Does filling out insurance forms stir up a whirlwind of irate emotions in you?
It seems the concept of a ‘passionate worker’ is a fallacy that refuses to fade away.
The employment of the term “passionate” in a dialogue implies a couple of insights: firstly, an individual could be attempting to persuade you to purchase a product, buy into an idea, or convince you to view them in a certain light. Secondly, this individual may demonstrate a certain laziness in their linguistic choices.
Certainly, word meanings evolve constantly. The initial interpretation of passion was related to suffering – an application to Christ’s Passion in contemporary terms would spark interesting confusion. I am an advocate for such natural progression in language. However, the birth of what I refer to as the passion-industrial age has ushered in its own form of authoritarian rule, impacting predominantly the younger generation.
During a job interview, the common question “What stirs your passion?” demands the interviewee to fabricate some enthusiasm and somehow link this to the dynamic field of selling hardware products. Prior to reaching this stage in life, while still grappling with their future prospects, young people are often instructed to chase their passions, as if sufficient introspection would unearth that single unique passion that would shape their entire existence.
While this approach might be beneficial for a small fraction of the populace, the majority might never develop such profound interests until much later in life or not at all. This is due to the intricate nature of the human psyche. The phrase “Find your passion” seeks to simplify this complexity into a solitary element: a production unit.
Possessing a slightly sceptical perspective, one might begin to speculate that the modern transformation of the term “passion” was more intentional than spontaneous. It is becoming more common for young individuals to be pressured into unpaid internships, accept unstable work conditions and poor remuneration. Mentioning such base issues as fair salaries is viewed as a major ethical downfall: a lack of passion.
Of course, that’s just my take on it. If I harboured more passion, my views might not lean so heavily towards the cynical side.