May 24 2009
There is a Thin Line between Passion and Fanaticism
There is a Thin Line between Passion and Fanaticism
By: Gustavo Lequerica-Calvo
The complexity of the human psyche is really complex and really frail, is true we are complex beings, animals that can rationalize, create and destroy. We can live to our rational impulses but at the same time we are slaves of our passions, we suffer for our humanity because even with our many technological and sociological progress we are primordial beings who emotionally aren’t away from the big primates in the Paleolithic period.
As complex beings, we tend to develop different aspects that fulfill our personality and desires such as art, religion, science and many other social dynamics that compose only a small fragment what the essence of humanity really is. We can feel passion for activities we develop and our beliefs, we tend to love what we do and with passion we can go as far away as our talent and multiple intelligences let us and even we can feel proud of what we can achieve. That is one beautiful aspect of the psyche, passion let the creation process to develop; but at the same time there is a thin line between passion and fanaticism that can generate cruelties toward opinions and different attitudes toward the currents of thoughts or expression people accept, and let a person to become obsessed with his way of thought and behave aggressive toward people who is different from him or her.
They’re many examples in the history books to discuss them in one single paragraph, a work from love that ended in fanaticism or a misinterpretation of a thought; is hard to say or point an specific example as there are many to tell; but maybe part of that fanaticism comes because of the intolerance of accept people who think or act different from the mainstream and it can be difficult to tolerate a difference from what an individual is accustomed too.
