“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.“ – Albert Einstein My my, if I take Einstein’s words seriously, I would have been a ” World’s Most” of a lot! That’s because I could be passionate about many things but have absolutely no special talents to pursue them. But of course, Einstein is being humble; besides his mathematical mind, his I.Q. is estimated to be 160 ( by comparison, Elon Musk scored 155 while Bill Gates scored 157 ). So, let’s not kid ourselves; we need some skill to pursue a passion. I.Q. alone would not have propelled Einstein and many others into some major earth-shattering, life-altering phenomenon just as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos were able to achieve in their lifetime. In fact, a number of students in the 45 years I have been a teacher have proved successful in their careers despite their poor showing in school. Conversely, I have known people who excelled in school but could not translate into career success at a minimum; some have even made a bum of themselves, unable to connect and build relationships. There are myriad reasons for this. Personal circumstances and health issues (Eduard, one of Einstein’s sons, was Schizophrenic and could not translate any talent he may have inherited ) and even world events could alter life’s trajectory. We can also argue about what constitutes success. We have some traditional measures of success; Western values revolve around material prosperity, but we also bestow this measure to artists whose reputation in the art community transcends wealth. ( hence the term “starving artists” ) There have been scientists and inventors who made prominent discoveries and inventions but did not profit from their inventions. (Well-known Filipino inventions like Karaoke and the drug Erythromycin did not bring wealth to their inventors ). There are leaders in various charities and NGOs who constantly keep our heads above water; these are unmitigated successes that require passionate and knowledgeable people to achieve them. CAN PASSION TRANSCEND EVERYTHING ELSE? Would curiosity alone make Einstein formulate the “Theory of Relativity”? No, but you don’t have to be a genius to make inroads to major scientific breakthroughs or some artistic accomplishment. But engagement alone does not guarantee success. Many of these require the kind of passion that makes you stick to an idea, an aspiration or a dream. Steve Jobs’s journey in developing the Apple computer is a study of determination and unwavering commitment to an idea. Despite an IQ comparable to Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak ( co-founder of Apple ) wouldn’t have been able to propel Apple into anything it is now. He does not have the relentless passion that Jobs showed throughout the early challenges of Apple’s development. Progress is not linear; there are ups and downs and curves along the way. Tenacity and perseverance are the other ingredients needed to see a project through. HOW DO WE BECOME PASSIONATE? Can we teach it? Are we born with it? As a classroom teacher and years of observing students at different levels of schooling, I can attest to a negative answer on both counts. Some could misconstrue hyperactivity as a precursor of passion. It is developed through experiences and becoming adept at specific skills. A teacher can facilitate these through various time-tested motivational lessons that enhance interest. When these skills are sustained in and out of the classroom, a child develops a determined and forward-looking mindset. It is easy to see among a class of students that children are wired differently. This is not necessarily associated with their academic performance. They are self-starters, highly motivated individuals who are focused and constantly looking beyond the present. They seek to find all they can about the object of their interest, honing their skills to boost their chances. An attentive teacher would easily see the level of enthusiasm exhibited by these students. It is incumbent on the teacher to sustain it. Being perceptive and vigilant are roles that sift a good teacher from a piddling variety. As easy as sustaining a passion, a weak and mediocre teacher can easily dash a budding aspiration. Parents should pay attention; a sudden loss of interest is a clue. PASSION, OBSESSION OR ADDICTION? There are similarities between them. In fact, I think the physiology of the three are similar but not identical. It seems a dead giveaway what addiction looks like; an all-consuming intensity that never ends because there are no positive goals, just an ongoing process that fails to satisfy; a feeling of helplessness to resist and an endless craving for “more,” regardless of consequences. Unlike addiction, obsession has a range; a normal, “harmless” obsession, like being meticulous, maybe, if applied well, is a positive trait, but the same trait, when done “fanatically” and repeatedly, borders into a compulsion and in a “disorder” territory. A well-known result is OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder ). Do you need to wash your hands repeatedly or check your stove top repeatedly to see if you have left it on? OCD is like a phobia in that it has no rational basis; it’s a type of anxiety disorder that may be triggered by stress. Passion resides between obsession and addiction. Like its twin cousins, it is an intense emotion and can be negative or positive. One that leads to the completion of a goal is said to be positive, a feeling of a sense of fulfilment. We develop it through experiences and specific skills. CAN WE SUSTAIN THIS EMOTION THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES? Eager and enthusiastic, excitable and emotional, sounds like the antithesis of an older person. So, can we still be all that in our senior years? Yes, we can, but we have to work hard at it. It does not come easily without commitment and optimism. But it is the secret of a vibrant quarter, post 75. However, future activity need not be something new to provoke interest. Many find companionship again after losing a spouse; this is one of the areas that finds a following. Returning to a job after retiring is another that finds a resurgence. Outside of companionship and career, fewer resurgent areas can arise passion. Putting time and energy and prioritizing secondary interests are keys. There is a prevailing attitude of “been there, done that” among older people, resigned to pass the time with activities that start and end on the same day to be repeated again the next day. Lifeless and stale are some of the descriptions I see being pursued by many. They tend to ally themselves with like-minded people. Nothing new will come out with such companionship, whether physical or mental. The security of something familiar could be overwhelming; some can’t even consider buddying with an ethnicity outside their own. These are recipes for a dispassionate approach to life. Many argue that physical and physiological barriers may prevent many from pursuing certain activities. That it is nature’s signal for us to slow down. The proliferation of hormone replacement therapy on TV indicates that a huge segment of the populace is keenly aware of our waning engagement. While nobody expects people to engage in activities that pose a danger to themselves, it is easier to disengage instead of trying harder to find more appropriate ways to connect. In our younger lives, was there something we could have done differently that could have prolonged our passion for living? One of the often-mentioned approaches to education that does not have legs is the lack of emphasis on emotional intelligence. Back in the day, going to school was all about the 3 Rs ( reading, (w)riting & (a)rithmetic ). And now that I have been on the “other side “ as a teacher, those days were not good, even for the 3 Rs! Then and arguably even today, our educational structures ( in the Philippines ) have much to be desired. We are consistently ranked well below our brothers in SE Asia. ( Unesco and the World Bank rank our children with less than 10% reading ability.) We seniors ( the “boomers ) are the products of a system that barely prepared us for the rigours of the first world. Thankfully, our adaptability and perseverance won the day by giving us a fighting chance to be competitive. The so-called emotional intelligence came to us by chance, a product of family dynamics and other environmental factors, but not as a direct result of schooling. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF PASSIONATE LIVING. Curiosity and eagerness to learn are the most outstanding attributes of people with high emotional quotient (EQ). You can immediately see how they will be the ones to look outside of the box and pursue things outside of the ordinary. They are highly motivated and have higher social skills and empathy. You can see that these qualities can profoundly impact our careers and beyond. They better understand other people’s emotions, are more open to criticism and feedback, and, therefore, to change. “Relational Intelligence,” a close ally of E.I., allows us to relate with others and establish trust. They have good listening skills that allow them to be inquisitive to provide a strong positive impression. One can see the exact opposite of chronically self-absorbed, self-preoccupied behaviour, a selfish conduct that is a remnant of childhood devoid of parental or educational direction. Their strong drive to achieve and be optimistic in facing challenges and failure are the seeds of passion. From these perspectives, one can see how a child could be raised in an environment where they can either be forward-looking or caught up in a constant onslaught of guilt-mongering parenting and superstitious drivel. Where are we on these? Do we have anything left to fuel the rest of our lives? Is there passion within?
