Can Passion be addictive?
How does passion for what we do impact our success?
Is passion addictive or does it change over time and as careers progress?
What do the actions of today’s corporate leaders tell us about their passion?
How has their passion changed over their careers - to get them to the position they are in today?
Discuss these questions in the context of the Four Principles of Purposeful Action, with examples and appropriate links.
This post was written by Chris Miller, featured here with his daughter. Chris will be the discussion leader for the week starting February 24.
The functional relationships between substance use and any one of a combination of social, emotional, cognitive, environmental, and attitudinal factors are encouraged. Studies that clearly contribute to current knowledge of the etiology, prevention and/or treatment of substance abuse are given priority.(1)
These are the Passion which means the emotional feelings of human nature.
* alcohol and alcoholism
* drug use and abuse
* eating disorders
* smoking and nicotine addiction, and
* other excessive behaviors (e.g., gambling)(2)
Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiologicneurobiological disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving.
First, some people think addictive should only be used to refer to negative things, so to them, referring to Scrabble as addictive would be wrong; but in everyday life it’s common to hear positive things referred to as addictive.
Second, physicians who treat pain make an important distinction between patients who are addicted to drugs and patients who have a physical dependence on drugs. When people are physically dependent on drugs they get pain relief from taking the drugs and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking the drugs. People who are addicted to drugs exhibit behaviors such as hoarding drugs and taking drugs in ways they aren’t prescribed or when they don’t provide relief from pain (3). So it isn’t correct to say people are addicted to drugs solely because they experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking them.
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/471/description#description (1)
http://www.apa.org/journals/adb/description.html (2)
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/addictive-versus-addicting.aspx (3)
Hema, I think the terms used by you to describe passion are not actually passions of human nature. Alcoholism, drugs and smoking are categorized as addictions. A person does not start smoking for the mere passion of smoking, when even a child knows the harmful effects of it. If we consider smoking/drugs as a passion, then definitely we are considering passion that reflects our negative mind set.
Your description about addiction and related links is indeed informational. However, the context used in the discussion is about passion or addiction of success in a person’s life.
The passion a person possesses may be redirected over time, changing its focus. For example, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child” 1 Cor 13:11. The verse goes on to say that when a person becomes an adult that they are to put an aside their childish way. As children are passionate about playing with toys, an adult passion shifts (unless the toys are refined as electronics).
Passion changes over time also because a person’s interests are known to evolve. That’s why it’s important for a person’s actions are meaningful and fulfilling. The passion driving their action must be balanced with their values to keep them on a path of a giver.
http://smallbizbee.com/index/2009/02/03/passion-isnt-static-business/
Thats a good point Margaux, passion change over a period of time and we need to act and control it accordingly.nice point!!
I very much like your reference to Cor 13:11 and the example of a child’s passion for toys. There is a nice implication here that parents, in many ways, can be quite influential in shaping the ethical balance of their children and trying to instill in them an awareness of purpose from an early age.
Margaux
I like the way you showed that as an individual matures, their passion should also. Is does not always, but it should.
Just remember, the differance between “man and boys” is “how big their toys are”
Passion is the ardent desire to achieve ones dream. Passion is not addictive it can be the positive state of mind, where addiction can be categorized as a negative core value. A visionary to emerge as a successful entrepreneur need to have passion to accomplish it. It is not the monetary rewards that bring out the best in a person.
I want to share the story of Narayana Murthy the founder of Infosys, a billion dollar software company now.
“In 1981 Murthy wanted to start INFOSYS. He had a vision and zero capital….Typical of Murthy, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him INR 10,000 (in between USD 200 & USD 250 at current exchange rate) which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it.” - Sudha Murthy (wife of Narayana Murthy)
More about Infosys Technologies Limited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infosys
This was another great article on passion and purpose.
Imagine someone standing with out stretched arms and open hands with one hand holding the word passion and the other holding the word purpose.
What I would like you to consider is that passion is the present where others as well as ourselves see our emotions. Purpose is the future, our true north, where we constantly strive towards to reach our vision. And the performance is the individual with the outstretched hands. Performance is the collection of all past experiences and current actions where we continually apply knowledge as we hold true to our passion and purpose.
Passion exists with our purpose and performance as a partner to help achieve the present and the future that we desire for our businesses, our families, our friends, our communities and ourselves.
Now envision yourself as that person of performance. Visualize what your hands are holding. What fills the hand holding your passion? What do you see in the other hand holding your purpose? Keep that vision bright in your mind’s eye. Perform each and every day with a clear focus on realizing both your passion and your purpose.
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/137/What-is-Passion.html
I do not think Passion is addictive. Been passionate about something need not mean it’s an addiction. People are not passionate to smoking, they are rather addictive.
It is very hard to be passionate about what you are not good at. To me passion means enjoying doing something which you can do well and keep doing it better. That’s what all great artists and musicians do. They enjoy doing what they do. Can a bad singer enjoy singing, can a poor painter enjoy painting ? Not for long I would think. Unless he/she convinces himself he/she is doing a good job, I doubt you can do that for long.
In the case where a bad singer enjoys singing for one self is indeed passion Sreesh. A person need not be a great singer to be passionate about music. A bad singer might put sincere effort and time in learning the skills and it will work out in many cases. One might emerge as a better artist through continuous improvement (hardwork).
I do agree in that. My point was only to emphasize that passion need not be an addiction. It can be a daily routine too.
That’s why its mentioned not for long. One carries it for a long while if there is a high amount of passion or interest.
Passion cannot be addictive,but it depends on what one is passionate about.Ethical balance in every action that we taks is a must,The deisres that motivates our action must be throughly analyzed and the environment that affects our action is another major factor.There are situations where people are passionate about their dreams but as time goes by it changes due the the afect of environment,personal lives,situations,people,different actions…etc.Passion can be momentary and not that addictive.In reality life has to offer many things to an individual.
It is nice point Chandrika. The situations around a person in life are not constant always. As a person’s responsibilities change so does his/her passion for their dreams change. The priorities in life influence our dreams or in this case passion.
Chandrika, I do agree that passion does not have to be addictive. Although I believe it can for those individuals that desire the competitive need to succeed and ultimately develop the passion for this success. The passion is only addictive if the desire for success is addictive.
Brad
You stated that very well, like you, I believe the “desire for success” is what becomes addictive, not the passion