Passion | noun | pas·sion | \ ˈpa-shən
Definitions of passion
1.
a. emotion
b. passions plural: the emotions as distinguished from reason
c. intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction
d. an outbreak of anger
2.
a. ardent affection: love
b. a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept a passion
c. sexual desire
d. an object of desire or deep interest
3. often capitalized a :
a. the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death
b. an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion
4. obsolete: suffering
5. the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces
Passion (Greek πασχω “to suffer, to be acted on” and Late Latin (chiefly Christian) passio “passion; suffering” (from Latin pati “to suffer”)) is a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something. Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause; to enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; to strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person. It is particularly used in the context of romance or sexual desire, though it generally implies a deeper or more encompassing emotion than that implied by the term lust.
Denis Diderot describes passions as “penchants, inclinations, desires and aversions carried to a certain degree of intensity, combined with an indistinct sensation of pleasure or pain, occasioned or accompanied by some irregular movement of the blood and animal spirits, are what we call passions. They can be so strong as to inhibit all practice of personal freedom, a state in which the soul is in some sense rendered passive; whence the name passions. This inclination or so-called disposition of the soul, is born of the opinion we hold that a great good or a great evil is contained in an object which in and of itself arouses passion”.
He further breaks down pleasure and pain, which are the guiding principles of passion into four major categories:
1. Pleasures and pains of the senses
2. Pleasures of the mind or of the imagination
3. Our perfection or our imperfection of virtues or vices
4. Pleasures and pains in the happiness or misfortunes of others
03-28-19 Imidiwan Ma Tenam by Tinariwen
03-28-19 Tinariwen represents a whole different kind of passion. Their love is nobler than the pursuit of human pleasures, but rather a pursuit of personal and spiritual liberty. They are of the Tuareg people hailing from Mali, they are of the desert, and their music...
03-27-19 I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe by OK GO
03-27-19 Passion being ardent affection, nothing else really describes that as well as wanting someone so bad that you couldn’t even breathe. Ok, Go has always been able to explore the emotional minefield that is the human experience with a bit more brevity and...
03-26-19 Invention of Beauty by Son Ambulance
03-26-19 I remember this being one of the first true love songs I ever discovered. There are lots of songs that talk about the beauty of another person. The physical desire to be with someone, the hope to attain and control a person, but this song seemed to be...
03-25-19 Gasoline by Alpine
03-25-19 The song begins on the introduction of two significant components: fire and gasoline. Her lover has the gasoline, and she has the fire, together the following is a result of the passion shared between the two. Individually they may be a little more...
03-24-19 Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s
03-24-19 Maps is a musical pillar in my life. I have distinct memories in almost every era of my life since it debuted 15 years ago. It’s one of few songs that didn’t belong to my brother’s generation, my parent's generation, or anyone else’s, it felt like it was mine...
03-23-19 Heart Skipped A Beat by The XX
03-23-19 I don’t know if it’s just my own bias, but when I think of passion, my first thought isn’t usually of two lovers in a heavy embraced, but rather the disposition of those suffering from unrequited love. Thought their advances may be dismissed their...
03-22-19 Staring At The Sun by Alaska In Winter
03-22-19 Alaska in Winter has shown up a few times so far, and though the music has tended to lend itself to a more somber and sadder state, this particular song has always stood out to me, as one that was a little more impassioned. Where most Alaska in Winter songs...
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