June 12, 2025

What are you passionate about?

When asked, ‘What am I passionate about?’ my answer is simple: I am passionate about life itself. This isn’t a vague platitude; it means that whatever I’m doing in any given moment, I strive to be fully immersed in it. It’s my way of giving my all, dedicating my complete attention to the task at hand.
For instance, if I’m playing soccer, I aim to perform at my absolute best. Should I find myself navigating a challenging moment in parenting, I commit to remaining level-headed and simply ‘being a father to my children.’ In essence, I strive to bring my utmost effort to every endeavor. This all-encompassing approach often leads to me being labeled a romantic, a title I wholeheartedly embrace.
Yet, in contemporary times, the very word “passionate” has taken a turn for the worse, often misused or diluted. Similarly, within pop culture, particularly in movies and popular narratives, the term ‘romantic’ has been twisted into a significant misconception. It’s as if these powerful words, meant to describe profound engagement and deep connection, have been reduced to fleeting, superficial emotions or narrow, unrealistic ideals. My passion isn’t about grand gestures or dramatic pronouncements; it’s about the quiet, consistent act of showing up fully for each moment, finding meaning and purpose in the ordinary as much as the extraordinary. This, to me, is the true essence of living passionately and romantically in the broadest sense of the words.


The Misappropriation of “Passionate”
When we understand “passionate” as a state of profound emotional engagement, deep enthusiasm, or powerful drive, its contemporary misuse becomes glaringly evident. Unfortunately, this nuanced and powerful word has been threading its way through pop culture, movies, articles, and even comics, often stripped of its true meaning and applied to scenarios that fundamentally contradict its essence.
The most egregious misuse comes into play when “passionate” is incorrectly deployed to describe angry or violent situations. Consider how often we hear phrases like “a passionate argument” or “a passionate rage” to describe outbursts of aggression. This is not passion. This is anger, frustration, or even raw, unbridled violence. Passion, in its true sense, while intense, is driven by love, conviction, or profound devotion – not by destructive intent or uncontrolled fury. Attributing “passion” to acts of violence or malicious behavior perverts the word, lending it a legitimacy it doesn’t deserve and blurring the lines between fervor and hostility.
Similarly, the word is often misused to annotate violence itself. When a character in a film commits an act of brutality, it’s sometimes described as being “passionately executed” or driven by “passion.” Again, violence is violence. It is an act of force or aggression, often intended to cause harm. True passion, even when intense, fosters creation, dedication, and profound connection, not destruction. The truth shall never meet: violence and genuine passion are fundamentally antithetical.
Furthermore, we sometimes see “passionate” used interchangeably with profanity. When expletives fly in a heated moment, they might be labeled as “passionate language.” But profanity is simply profanity – strong, often offensive language. While it might convey intense emotion, it doesn’t inherently embody the deep, fervent commitment or profound enthusiasm that defines passion. To equate a string of curses with “passion” strips the word of its inherent dignity and depth, reducing it to a mere descriptor for intensity, regardless of its source or nature.


Discover more from America The Beautiful

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a comment

Discover more from America The Beautiful

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading