There's a huge difference about being "into" composting... and enjoying talking about composting, teaching composting, selling people on composting equipment/techniques, writing about composting, etc.
This is an important distinction. If you're "into" composting but those other things above disinterest you, it's easy to try to get yourself stuck in a situation that you hate. Where you eventually even stop enjoying composting.
I don't deny that it's an extremely important distinction, and perhaps I should have gone to greater lengths to clarify as much.
At the same time, I feel that the article set up a bit of a false dichotomy by focusing too heavily on the extreme end of the "passion" spectrum. It's not a black-and-white choice between "mildly interested in" and "slaveringly obsessed with." There is a pretty broad spectrum in between those points. "Into" was probably a casually bad word choice on my part, but again, I'd really suggest that we stay away from a semantics debate here.
To re-clarify: I agree, more or less, with a great deal of the article and its broad analysis. At times, however, the author gets too bogged down in a dissection of the semantics and usage of the word "passion," leading him astray.
For what it's worth, I really enjoyed your linked piece. Particularly your point here: "You can love something and not know the slightest thing about it."
Exploring that all-important point a bit further, we can arrive at this scary conclusion: You can love a given topic, but not necessarily in the way other people love it. I'd venture to say that plenty of failed passion-followers have dashed their ships aground on those rocks. Loving something, and serving the customer, are two very different and often conflicting things.
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There's a huge difference about being "into" composting... and enjoying talking about composting, teaching composting, selling people on composting equipment/techniques, writing about composting, etc.
This is an important distinction. If you're "into" composting but those other things above disinterest you, it's easy to try to get yourself stuck in a situation that you hate. Where you eventually even stop enjoying composting.
I wrote about this exact scenario: http://unicornfree.com/2011/dont-follow-your-passion/
I don't deny that it's an extremely important distinction, and perhaps I should have gone to greater lengths to clarify as much.
At the same time, I feel that the article set up a bit of a false dichotomy by focusing too heavily on the extreme end of the "passion" spectrum. It's not a black-and-white choice between "mildly interested in" and "slaveringly obsessed with." There is a pretty broad spectrum in between those points. "Into" was probably a casually bad word choice on my part, but again, I'd really suggest that we stay away from a semantics debate here.
To re-clarify: I agree, more or less, with a great deal of the article and its broad analysis. At times, however, the author gets too bogged down in a dissection of the semantics and usage of the word "passion," leading him astray.
For what it's worth, I really enjoyed your linked piece. Particularly your point here: "You can love something and not know the slightest thing about it."
Exploring that all-important point a bit further, we can arrive at this scary conclusion: You can love a given topic, but not necessarily in the way other people love it. I'd venture to say that plenty of failed passion-followers have dashed their ships aground on those rocks. Loving something, and serving the customer, are two very different and often conflicting things.