Passion

I recently found myself in an argument of quite some length. Furthermore I was having it with two of my closest friends - but let me be clear; this wasn't a bad thing. It's not even a particularly uncommon occurrence. I may have mentioned this a couple of times before; we argue for fun. Occasionally there's an goal had by one or more of the people involved, but mostly it's just a casual distraction for an evening. If I were sincerely trying to waylay the negative connotations this behavior inevitably brings about I would probably be more careful to call it discussion. Yes, spirited discussion. However I feel the severity and strength with which we press our points means our little 'fits' cannot be accurately labeled anything other than an argument. The main difference is we seem to brush these off with no real offense or worry. It's commonplace to us and hasn't ever hurt the friendship we have, proving at least some level of lie to the old thought that you can't ever discuss politics or religion with friends should you want them to remain so.

I will admit here that I do give that expression some credit in regards to virtually everyone else I've met, but perhaps we are a somewhat rare combination.

The argument in question brought up the idea of passion. It actually touched upon it in a number of ways that would take a great deal of time to explain here, but the one I wish to focus on is whether it is a positive force or a negative one. I'm once again massively simplifying things here, but thats a necessity when dealing with our forays into debate. We wander you see, quite vigorously - if that can be applied here.

Nonetheless the question, or the bit I wish to focus on, briefly touched upon how passion can influence your behavior. It's certainly known that people who are extremely passionate about their work can create great pieces of art, but is that all that such passion does? Does it solely fill you with the motivation needed to push you to greater and more magnificent lengths, or is there a darker element involved as well? Obsession, that is. The difference between the two seems minute and mostly concerning the tone you want to have when describing a person. The fact there are two words at hand here doesn't necessarily dictate that they must be separate things after all; the intention of the speaker is sufficient to create new words. Hell, with English you barely need an excuse to make new words, let alone a unique definition.

However if passion and obsession are indeed one and the same it brings us to the question of whether this is a good thing to have. How does one harness the good traits associated with passion without putting themselves at risk to losing themselves in obsession? If they're the same it would seem to indicate you can't. So is it worth it? This is a question that must be asked on a purely personal level. Naturally we can see the benefit of passion to a society as a whole, so this is a matter of whether you should guard yourself again such levels of care and investing so much of yourself in things.

The thing here is we must realize this isn't a choice that can be clearly made right before you fall into the fiery depths of obsession. It's quite likely you won't actually see it coming. You might have an epiphany, but as a rule I wouldnt recommend relying upon random happenstance as your failsafe. This means it must be a measured decision beforehand about how one will operate. A decision between pouring as much of yourself as you can into everything you do in life or keeping a level of distance, a barrier to shield yourself from the effects of obsession. And it's when faced with this choice that I find myself for once, thankfully, not divided.

I would dive into every aspect of life I experience with my whole being. I would pour my heart and soul into everything I make and do, never stopping until I have satisfied my own hopes and dreams. In his regard we came to a conclusion. Should one undertake such a mentality they would leave themselves vulnerable to loss, depression, and obsession. But if that's the risk needed to take life as I have, I whole heartily agree to do so.