One evening last week I was glancing through my Twitter stream and noticed what seemed like the umpteenth GTD-related tweet by a popular blogger. I pictured myself reaching through the web, grabbing him by the collar, and saying
What is wrong with you, fella?
Is that all you can do is parrot another man’s thoughts?
Don’t you know how to think for yourself?
Get over your obsession and think.
Then, as I was considering un-following him, I realized: who am I to criticize someone for an obsession? I’ve sure had my share of obsessions over the years, and still do.
And, I also realized: what if he is not really obsessed? What if, instead, he is simply passionate about trying to help people make the best of their time?
Hum. I still don’t have the answer to that one. Considering how egotistical he seems to be, though, I suspect obsession. But, again, that is judgmental of me and it can be hard for anyone to tell from the sidelines.
And, it raises the question of whether there is a clear difference between passion and obsession.
My first thought was that passion is more goal-oriented, and obsession is more self-gratifying. But on further reflection, this seemed to me to be an arbitrary distinction. After all, there’s that old saying of “one man’s food is another man’s poison.”
Where I am at right now in thinking about this is: I think obsession can start out similar to passion but that it ultimately involves a loss of perspective.
Regardless, my gut sense, after living on this little planet for 59 years, is that obsession is becoming more common. It seems to me that there is a greater tendency now for large numbers of people to become obsessed with the most insignificant items.
What are your thoughts?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Good point and good examples, Karl. Thanks.
Though initially the goal/objective is clear in my mind; as we progress along the path, we sometimes lose our focus; or take our eye of the ball…
Here’s an anecdote from my personal experience.
I took to photography because I loved the enjoying the beauty or peace of something. I enjoyed how it made me feel and I realized that it was what was before me that made me feel that way. I decided photography would help me capture this moment, appreciate it, honor it by taking a snapshot so I can reference it forever.
Soon I started noticing that capturing the moment started taking precedence to absorbing or experience it. (Similar to journalists taking pictures of crying children in the path of fire or explosions, no longer a variable in the equation that can change the outcome but merely an observer).
The pursuit of GTD can often times become that: a pursuit of the act of creating and managing tasks purely towards the attainment of that activity rather than the fulfillment of the objectives of the tasks themselves.
Excellent comment, Prashanth. Thank you.