The Passion of the... You

I’ve always heard phrases like “we must restrain our passions,” and also “the passion of the Christ” — and been confused.

I just learned the difference —

• a passion in the first case refers to an emotion

• a passion in the second case is the noun form of “passive.”

A passion is a thing that is accomplished passively — by allowing, bearing, suffering, enduring.

Act-ive, pass-ive.

Act-ion, pass-ion.

🤯

Much of the emotional work truth-loving requires, is micro-passions.

It seems unlikely you’ll need to get literally crucified, but the principle is the same: voluntary suffering, for a worthy reason.

Willingly bearing the pain of our emotional reactions against new ideas, in order to reconstitute our emotional architecture on truth, and trust in truth — instead of on our beliefs, and on our defenses against understanding anything contrary to them.

Micro-passions are how we conquer our preference for delusion.

No pain, no brain.