Quote:
Originally Posted by Villages PL
I agree that people with "obsessions" often do great things. I put "obsessions" in quotes because I'm not sure how we would always agree on what constitutes an obsession. Was Albert Einstein obsessed or just following a passionate interest in the wonders of the universe?
What about other occupations:
Are chefs obsessed with food because they think about food every working day of their lives? Perhaps that's the reason they chose to become a chef in the first place. Maybe, if they think about it on their days off and when they get up to pee at night. And sometimes can't go to sleep thinking about it.
How about the author of a cookbook or a series of cookbooks? Not unless they have no other subject they enjoy or they don't have many friends or finding new recipes is making them nervous all of the time.
How about a dietition or nutritionist? If the nutritionist in question only wants to talk about nutrition to everyone and if he/she wants to improve others nutrition without being consulted and rarely goes to the movies, out to dinner or enjoys television because he/she is thinking about the result of good nurtrition on the lives of other...maybe.
What about the person who came up with the idea of orthorexia? Did that person have an obsession? It must have been on their mind a lot. Could be. I've heard it said that behaviorists are a chancy bunch of folks.
What about people who treat such obsessions? Well you never know. They could be obsessed with obsessions.
What about all the many health clubs in The Villages? Are they all obsessed? I don't think places can have human qualities but the people who go to them could be, if they don't ever want to go home.
What about The Villages preoccupation with becoming America's Healthiest Hometown? n/a
How many people in the U.S. are on a diet at any given time? 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men.
How many people go on a diet each year |
Being passionate about something and being obsessed with something are two different behaviors. If a person is enjoying their life and being comfortable without the need to change everyone elses mind on a subject, and dont' think about one subject most of the time, then they are probably just passionate and not obsessed.
Disclaimer. My knowledge is limited to a few courses in psychology that I took with Martha Washington a couple of centuries ago and the fact that I am kinda interested in human behavior and read a lot of stuff about it.
I could be obsessed, but I don't think so because I play a lot of golf.