I am interested in a wide range of subjects: the philosopher Wittgenstein, baking, poetry, mathematics, fishing. Quite a mix. But I claim no in-depth knowledge in any of these subjects. However, when I meet people who are passionate about a subject they inspire me to add it to my already long list!
An example cropped up recently when I was attending a fly fishing show. The show was full of stands selling hooks, feathers, furs, tying tools, books and many other things that I wasn’t aware that I needed to tie a fly. In amongst the stands were tables where experienced fly tyers patiently answered my very basic questions. In the middle of one hall there was a large square where fly tyers were seated demonstrating their skill. As I slowly walked around them, asking myself whether I would ever reach their level of skill, a small group had gathered around one tyer so I joined in. He was delicately tying a fly that was so small we were all straining forward to try and see. At each each stage he explained why he was selecting the materials, how he was using the tools and enjoyed answering questions. Later in the day he was giving a talk about the history of the type of fly that he was interested in and how its design had developed over the years from the introduction of new materials, tools and techniques. The talk was packed and in my opinion it was the best of the day. After the show I bought the fly tyers book which opened my eyes to new things to be learned and is so well written that I am sure that a non fly tyer would enjoy it: The North Country Fly – Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition.
People who are passionate about their subject can crop up unexpectedly. For example we had a company install a new garage door. The company owner took us through the manufacturing history of our old doors, what was wrong with them and the advantages of the new doors. He also took into account how the new doors would affect the overall appearance of the house. He was passionate about garage doors and we felt that he could have spent most of the day discussing them! On a more regular basis we buy cheese from a stall in our local market. The stall holder will take time to explain the history, recipe, and the importance of cows milk to the quality of the cheese and will let us sample the different types. Although it can take over five minutes to buy a piece of cheese we always feel that we have learned something about the art of cheese making and look forward to our next purchase.
Passionate people concentrate on the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ and pick the correct level of communication for their audience. They have a command of detail, including the history of their subject as well as being knowledgable about the people who are also involved in the same area. They tend to be self motivated and whether they have a university degree about their subject is secondary. They are also passionate about sharing their subject. But it is interesting to note that the passion of a person can be blunted by the media. For example, I am sure if I met Sir David Attenborough or Prof Brian Cox then their passion would be more effective whereas on the TV or Radio it is not at the same level as some of the people that I mentioned above. Therefore it is important to meet passionate people face to face. Another subtle difference is between somebody who is enthusiastic and a passionate person. An enthusiastic person can come across as excitable and showy about a subject and seem to be trying to sell it whereas a passionate person brings their subject to life.
In a world that seems to be full of experts and enthusiasts who are just a few clicks away who spout facts we need more passionate people who can renew our energy for subjects that we are already interested in or increase our interest and motivation into new subjects such as fighting climate change.