the purpose of passion
What does it mean to be passionate?
What does it mean to be passionate?
The way our eyes widen when talking about a topic we love. How our body begins to open up and move with each word to emphasise its importance. Every sensation becomes heightened and each movement is accentuated.
I feel there are many similarities between the idea of being possessed and being passionate – maybe the idea of being possessed stems from passion.
The man who stood in the town square, wide-eyed and flailing his arms whilst speaking out against religious ideologies was just passionate about his beliefs, but the townsfolk thought him to be possessed by a demon.
The woman who fell deeply in love seemed almost possessed, as if she had lost all control of her motor skills and couldn’t contain her emotions – but she was just passionately in love.
Passion is like an overflowing desire to transmit even an ounce of our feelings over to another person – because they must understand how important it is because it’s life-changing.
I do wonder why we feel such a strong need to tell other people about what we’re passionate about. It’s like a confession. And it’s not like we need someone to approve of our passions, but maybe, in some way, we do? Maybe it’s not healthy to be isolated in our passions. There’s no doubt that expressing what you’re passionate about is a cathartic experience, but why is it that we need someone there to witness it?
It might be because we cannot sit with the intense feelings, and need an outlet – a way to express the burning and bubbling within without letting it overwhelm us. I have a feeling, though, that it’s more about connection. In fact, I think a lot of our unconscious actions come from craving connection. We drink because we desire conversation, but we’re too nervous to talk. We write hoping someone will resonate with our words. We paint to reveal our inner world, because someone may see life the same way. We confess our love in the hopes it will be reciprocated. We reveal what we’re passionate about to find someone who feels the same way.
There are, of course, many things that we do for ourselves – quiet activities and hobbies that we are happy to keep isolated – but there’s a difference between those quiet activities and the big feelings. The topics, experiences and lessons that are so profoundly life-changing that we simply cannot keep to ourselves. It’s the big stuff that we crave connection for, and our passions feel big to us. So, we express them in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will listen with the same intensity as our words. So that way we don’t feel so alone with all the big feelings, because sometimes, when we’re talking about something we’re passionate about, it can feel like life or death.
Why is that?
Because, maybe it is. Loneliness is a silent killer. We’ve all experienced it. The sunken heart that leaks sadness into the pit of your stomach. The heavy weight that slows you down and drags your feet. It’s the existential questions and pointless answers. The map without any destination. It’s darkness in the daylight. It feels like a slow death of the spirit.
But loneliness stems from a lack of connection, and connection is almost always ignited by a topic of shared interest – a topic of shared passion. Watching someone lean in with every word you say. Seeing their eyes fixed on yours. How their entire body seems to nod in agreement and fascination. It’s an entanglement of the souls over shared thoughts and feelings. When this happens, it’s as if a light has been turned on within that’s been dimmed for too long – and you can both experience it within yourself and watch as the light turns on in someone else.
It’s one of the purest, most beautiful experiences that life has to offer.
Passion is the lighthouse of the soul. It guides us back to land when we feel unsteady. It reminds us that there’s a purpose to our search for meaning. That even in total darkness, there is a hidden light that leads us back home – to others, and to ourselves.
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Personally, I love watching people talk about topics they’re passionate about. Watching someone come alive - it’s invigorating to experience. One topic I am extremely passionate about is music. I’d like to include a song I am obsessed with every week at the end of my posts. Not just to share good music, but I also believe that whatever song you’ve had on repeat is an insight into your state of mind. Sometimes, I like to include a song that feels relevant, or exudes a similar vibe to the article/essay.
Anywho, enjoy one of my favourite artists, Neil Young: Harvest Moon
Keep on keepin’ on folks.
Plot Collector <3
You have a way with words. It is reminiscent of writers of old. There is beauty in how you form thoughts and feelings into an intelligible whole.