Passionate Nature Research Articles

Latent Profiles of Passion and Categories of University Students' Passionate Activities: Difficulties in the Empirical Systematisation of Passion

ABSTRACTBoth classical and contemporary definitions of education emphasise the development of learners and the discovery of their potential. The period of systemic education at all stages is an opportunity to seek this potential both at school and outside it. These are the circumstances of the development of abilities, interests and passions. In the educational process and in the modern world, the most valued are people who are creative, entrepreneurial, open to new experiences and have a passion—since it provides energy, gives wings, is a source of a sense of freedom and meaning and helps maintain well‐being. This study aimed to explore passion profiles, considering their dimensions and categories, and the respondents' field of study and gender, in a sample of Polish university students (n = 2720). The online Self‐Report Passion Inventory (SRPI) was used. Cluster analysis identified three latent profiles, differentiated by the perceived benefits of passion, its origin and its balance with other life activities. In addition, we identified categories of passionate activities typical of each profile. Field of study and gender were represented in similar ways in the distinguished profiles, indicating the universal nature of passion. The qualitative analysis of the results revealed potential reasons for the difficulties respondents experienced while categorising passionate activities.

Role of passion in entrepreneurial responses to crises on social media platforms

PurposeThis study examines the role of passion in gender-specific entrepreneurial responses in times of crises and how passion manifests itself in a digital environment. Entrepreneurial passion feeds energy, tenacity, self-confidence and momentum, creating added value for a given economy.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used to conduct semi-structured interviews. To reach the research objectives, the author examined a sample of 22 female entrepreneurs and 19 male entrepreneurs in a comparative design.FindingsThe results obtained through a qualitative study prove that entrepreneurial passion is a driver of self-confidence for entrepreneurs. Moreover, the nature of entrepreneurial passion differs across gender in times of crises. Indeed, female entrepreneurs try to take their lives into their own hands by creating their own destinies. They have seized opportunities arising from purely technological progress to create their own businesses on social networks and solve the unemployment problem. Meanwhile, male entrepreneurs pursue opportunities based on market supply and demand to increase their market share and face a crisis.Practical implicationsThese findings offer novel insights into research on social media entrepreneurs. This study could help new entrepreneurs highlight their abilities, particularly those that are most salient and central.Originality/valueThis study adds a new dimension to the literature on the role and nature of entrepreneurial passion in times of crises.

Meta-Analytical Investigation of the Nature and Pathways of Passion in Entrepreneurship

Meta-Analytical Investigation of the Nature and Pathways of Passion in Entrepreneurship

Does passion matter for team innovation? The conditional indirect effects of team harmonious versus obsessive passion via team reflexivity

AbstractThis research examines how team members’ passion for innovation compiles to contribute to team innovation. We argue that team mean passion influences team innovation by affecting team reflexivity, which is a key team process for members to collectively reflect on and adjust their efforts toward achieving innovation goals. The indirect effect of mean passion on team innovation via team reflexivity depends on the nature of passion—harmonious passion (HP) versus obsessive passion (OP)—and the diversity of the corresponding type of passion. Results from a two‐wave field study of 131 teams and a three‐wave field study of 155 teams support the differential effects of compiled HP and OP. Moreover, the effect of mean HP on team reflexivity and its indirect effect on team innovation via reflexivity were less positive when HP diversity was higher rather than lower, while the effect of mean OP on team reflexivity and its indirect effect on team innovation via reflexivity were less negative when OP diversity was higher rather than lower. This research offers important theoretical and practical implications for literatures on passion, teams, and team innovation.

Royal epistolary courtship in Latin? Arthur Tudor's “love letter” to Katherine of Aragon at the Archivo General de Simancas and Francesco Negri's Ars Epistolandi☆

AbstractThe Archivo General de Simancas in Valladolid has preserved a letter attributed to Arthur Tudor, categorized as ‘declarándole su ardiente pasión amorosa’ [declaring his ardent loving passion]. Its recipient has been thought to be Katherine of Aragon. The lack of scholarly interest in this letter is remarkable, but may be caused by its having been calendared in the nineteenth century as written by Perkin Warbeck. In what follows we unlock the mystery of the AGS letter by returning to its original Latin. We reveal that it very closely follows an exemplum from Francesco Negri's educational bestseller Ars Epistolandi, first published in 1488. Interestingly, Negri used the exemplum to show readers how not to write a letter, and categorized it as ‘turpis’, or, ‘lewd’. We present here an edition with a translation of both the AGS letter and Negri's sample. Our evidence suggests that ‘Arthur's letter’ is not a declaration of love to send to a recipient, but a school exercise in line with Humanist training. As such, it may not provide a window to Arthur's passionate nature, but it does offer important insights into educational practices in the context of the Tudor court towards the end of the 15th century.

Dangerous or Goodly Passions: The Role of Emotion in Parliament and Politics

Dangerous or Goodly Passions: The Role of Emotion in Parliament and Politics

Descartes on the source of error: the Fourth Meditation and the Correspondence with Elisabeth

ABSTRACT In the Fourth Meditation, Descartes famously treats the indifference of the will (roughly, ambivalence of reasons) as the source of error, which many read as oddly suggesting that the will judges arbitrarily. In his letter to Elisabeth dated 1st September 1645, however, he expressly takes passions to be the source of error, saying that passions move the will to judge erroneously by misrepresenting the value of objects. Although these two accounts focus on different kinds of error – theoretical and practical error, respectively – I argue that Descartes is best understood as extending the second account also to the source of theoretical error. On my reading, the first account does not imply that erroneous judgements are simply arbitrary, but it leaves out an explanation why we judge at the time we do, when we could (and should) continue to inquire insofar as we have not yet gathered sufficient evidence. The second account fills in this lacuna by giving an explanation in terms of passions. I further argue that the schematic nature of the first account is due partly to the structure of the Meditations, but mainly to the fact that Descartes has not yet systematically examined the nature of passions there.

Investigation of the relationships between academic hardiness and passion for studies with undergraduates’ affect and happiness

Personality variables contribute to the development of passion for studies leading undergraduates to different affective experiences. Academic hardiness, an affective personality trait, may have effect on undergraduates’ passion for studies. The purpose of the study (which uses a quantitative methodological approach) was twofold: (a) to examine the psychometric properties of Passion scale in Greek undergraduates and (b) to investigate the role of Academic Hardiness 3Cs in the Harmonious (HP) and Obsessive (OP) passion. A convenience sample of 293 undergraduates completed the following scales: (a) Passion scale, (b) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, (c) The Positive and Negative Affect schedule, and (d) The revised Academic Hardiness scale. Initially, results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the two-factor passion scale. Moreover, results from SEM analyses revealed that control and challenge were positively related to HP, whereas commitment was positively related to both HP and OP. A negative relationship was found between control and OP. OP was positively related with negative affect, which, in turn, was negatively related with undergraduates’ happiness. On the contrary, HP was positively related with positive affect, which, in turn, was positively related with happiness. Findings of the study are discussed, focusing on the adaptive nature of academic hardiness and harmonious passion in academic settings.

The impact of entrepreneurial passion on entrepreneurial success and psychological well-being: a person-centered investigation

PurposeEntrepreneurial passion has important implications for entrepreneurial success and psychological well-being. But their connections are complicated by the fact that three entrepreneurial passions (passion for inventing, passion for founding and passion for developing) can be combined differently according to their level and shape difference. A variable-centered approach cannot explain their relationship very well, by only focusing on the level difference and ignoring the different combination of entrepreneurial passion in subpopulations. The purpose of this study is to explore the function of entrepreneurial passion on entrepreneurial success and psychological well-being from a person-cantered approach.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors conducted latent profile analyses to identify different configurations of different entrepreneurial passions (passion for inventing, passion for founding, passion for developing) on two samples of Chinese students and entrepreneurs. Then in the sample of Chinese entrepreneurs, the authors utilized the DCON command in Mplus to provide comparisons among the profiles on entrepreneurial success and psychological well-being.FindingsBased on identity theory, the authors found four entrepreneurial passion profiles across two samples—fully passionate, action-driven, interest-driven and dispassionate. Furthermore, the authors found that fully passionate entrepreneurs showed the highest level of entrepreneurial success, followed by action-driven, and then by interest-driven and dispassionate showed the lowest level. Action-driven entrepreneurs experienced the highest level of psychological well-being, followed by fully passionate entrepreneurs, then by interest-driven and dispassionate.Originality/valueThe results provide new insights into the nature and influence of entrepreneurial passion on entrepreneurial success and psychological well-being from a person-centered perspective.

Inherent or context-dependent? Untangling the dynamic nature of work passion from a latent growth modeling approach

While work passion is widely pursued by both employees and their organizations, the development of passion remains largely unexplored. This gap in extant literature has motivated the present study, as a part of which the dynamic nature of work passion is investigated in order to ascertain: (1) whether and why work passion may exhibit an inherently dynamic over time; (2) whether the dynamics of passion are context-dependent (i.e., based on the external circumstances) and whether the influence of contextual factor(s) is also dynamic; and (3) whether any changes in work passion can be identified over a period of a few weeks. To accomplish these aims, based on the self-determination theory, we first examined two forms of passion (i.e., obsessive and harmonious passion) in terms of their potential temporal dynamics. In addition, we posited that unmet expectations, denoting a self-concept gap between one's expectations and work realities, was a pertinent contextual factor, in line with the theoretical frameworks of ideal self versus reflected self. Using the data from a four-wave longitudinal survey conducted over a three-month period involving 365 employees, a series of latent growth modeling tests were performed. Our findings show that unmet expectations influence the initial status and subsequent changes in both forms of passion, albeit in opposite directions. However, the inherent dynamic nature of either form of passion was not supported by our results. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed accordingly.

Passion Amid the Pandemic: Does Dual-Domain Passion Facilitate Life Satisfaction?

While many employees have experienced sudden work changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those changes have been particularly unsettling for employees whose work is also their passion. We examine whether having passion for work and non-work activities (i.e., passion in dual domains) helps employees achieve life satisfaction amid the pandemic. Using multiple identity frameworks, we investigate which forms of dual-domain passion are associated with life satisfaction, and whether passion enhancement moderates those relationships. Further, to explore the possibility that some people may be more prone to experiencing dual-domain passion, we examine individual ambidexterity as an antecedent of dual-domain passion. We first conducted a preliminary study to empirically test the notion of dual-domain passion and the forms it can take. In the main study, we tested the proposed model using two samples: employees working from home or furloughed during the pandemic. We found that having same-form passion (i.e., harmonious passion for work and non-work domains, or obsessive passion for both domains) was more critical to bolstering life satisfaction than having different-form passion (i.e., harmonious work passion and obsessive non-work passion, or vice versa). Specifically, harmonious (obsessive) dual-domain passion enhanced life satisfaction when one had high (low) passion enhancement. By extension, the indirect link between individual ambidexterity and life satisfaction, as mediated by each of the two same-form dual-domain passion, differed depending on the nature of same-form passion and passion enhancement.

William James, Radical Empiricism, and the Affective Ground of Religious Life

William James, Radical Empiricism, and the Affective Ground of Religious Life

КУЛЬТУРНЫЕ СТЕРЕОТИПЫ В ЭТИКЕ СТОИКОВ И СПИНОЗЫ

Starting from antiquity, European ethics formed some stable stereotypes in describing the collisions of the rational and sensory components of moral life, where value priorities were given to the rational principles of a person's moral life, which were opposed by the sensory-emotional, affective sphere of mental life. In this regard, aspecial signifi-canceacquiresa cultural stereotype associated with the interpretation of the concept of nature. His assessment is based on the opposition of the concepts natural / artificial, spontaneous / rational, involuntary / intentional. One of the most important resources of the European cultural tradition is the history of philosophical ideas, many of which have acquired a paradigmatic status and have become common European cultural values. It will be about the interpretation of the nature of passions in ancient Stoicism and the philosophical system of Spinoza. The phenomenon of passion is considered in the following aspects: passion as a disease of the soul, passion as excessive striving, passions as special physical states of mental substance, passion as a false judgment, passion as a phenomenon of metaphysical discrimination.

Disentangling the Dynamic Nature of Work Passion: A Latent Growth Modeling Approach

While employees’ work passion is widely pursued by organizations and their citizens, the development of passion remains largely unstudied. This gap in extant literature has motivated the present study, as a part of which the dynamic nature of work passion is investigated—whether passion is context-dependent (i.e., the change of passion based on external circumstances). Our research framework was informed by the integrative framework of self-determination theory, which emphasizes individuals’ internalization of activities while acknowledging the critical role of contextual influences. Specifically, unmet expectations was investigated as a critical contextual factor that represents the interplay of individual expectations and work realities. Using the data from a four-wave longitudinal survey involving 365 employees, a series of latent growth modeling tests were performed. Our findings show that unmet expectations influence the initial status and subsequences change in both forms of passion, albeit in opposite directions. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed accordingly.

The Iceman Cometh: “An unique dramatic achievement” (Tennessee Williams, letter to Eugene O'Neill, November 6, 1946)

<i>The Iceman Cometh</i>: “An unique dramatic achievement” (Tennessee Williams, letter to Eugene O'Neill, November 6, 1946)

Sharing a passion for the mission? Angel investing in social enterprises

Passion for a mission is an important factor for social entrepreneurs, but how do angel investors perceive passionate social entrepreneurs looking for funding? The opportunity nexus in social entrepreneurship and our propositions highlight the role and nature of passion when mission-driven social entrepreneurs are trying to secure funding from angel investors. To develop propositions, we build on previous studies in social entrepreneurship, business angel funding, and entrepreneurial passion complemented with qualitative data from eight field interviews. The results indicate angel investors recognise the opportunities in social entrepreneurship, but the mission can never replace the financial return. Without a functioning business model, accomplishing a social mission becomes impossible.

Gender, Animals, and Gaskell’s Cousin Phillis

The so-called animal turn in the humanities has given rise to an increased interest in the ways in which representations of animals shape human cultures. In Victorian studies, scholars have attended to the significance of domestic pets and other animals in the production of Victorian ideologies and subjectivities. Recent studies often point out the role animals played in the formation of Victorian domesticity. While these studies in general assign a key role to animal figures in the mediation of traditional domesticity, this essay explores the opposite phenomenon taking place in the Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cousin Phillis, a novella in which pets and farm animals are prominent. In this work, the eponymous protagonist, a young woman living on a farm, falls in love with a cosmopolitan engineer. Rather than portraying Phillis as an ethereal angelic creature who would be typical of the ideal Victorian woman, Gaskell ascribes to her a passionate nature, though hidden behind a constrained façade. Phillis is partly able to express her deep-set emotions, including her interest in the cosmopolitan engineer, when interacting with animals. This non-traditional gender role becomes possible through the representation of birds and the family dog. Animals enable the imagination of a femininity that resists restrictive gender codes. The traditional association of animals with women has sometimes worked to denigrate the latter, but as Gaskell shows that this link also has an emancipatory potential.

Bad Habits: The Nature and Origin of Kantian Passions

Abstract According to Kant, passions are a distinct type of inclination. Unlike normal inclinations, however, they are inherently destructive—much like addictions. Recent scholarship on Kant's view has left two important questions unanswered. First, what is the key trouble-making difference between passions and normal inclinations? Second, what mental processes give rise to passions in the first place? My article answers both questions. I argue that passions involve a form of tunnel vision or hyperfocus that corrupts practical reason by hijacking attention. This problem emerges when the imagination (or “fantasy”) distorts the processes that give rise to normal inclinations.

Fiction and the Agnostic

Consider the agnostic who thinks that reason and evidence are neutral on the question of God’s existence, and as a result neither believes that God exists nor believes that God does not exist. Can such an agnostic live a genuinely religious life – even one in which God is the central animating idea? They might do so by accepting Pascal’s Wager: the expected rewards will always be greater if one bets on God’s existence than if one does not. Or they might accept William James’s argument that religious beliefs are properly activated by our passional nature. But both of these routes involve abandoning the initial agnosticism, and so are open to charges of irrationality. In this paper I explore a third route to the religious life, suggested by Pascal’s discussion, one which uses fiction and make-believe as the central prop. It might seem that this too entails abandoning agnosticism in favour of the view that religion just is fiction. I suggest, however, that there is a phenomenon which I term “serious make-believe” in which one can remain agnostic about whether the object of make-believe is real or a useful fiction. Applied to religion, the result is a religious life that is both genuinely engaged (and not merely experimental) and yet, by remaining agnostic, cannot be accused of irrationality.

Plato in Bad Company? Plato’s Republic (588b–589b) in the Nag Hammadi Collection: A Re-Examination of Its Background

Abstract The Coptic translation of a passage from Plato’s Republic (588b–589b) found in the sixth Codex of the Nag Hammadi collection has received very limited academic attention in comparison with other tractates from the same Codex. This paper argues that placing this passage within Clement of Alexandria’s polemic with Christian Platonists Carpocrates and his son Epiphanes, may provide a fresh and insightful comment on the use of Republic, with its anthropology and ethics among various second-century Christian teachers. This passage allegorizes various passions within the human soul and warns against injustice. According to Clement of Alexandria the subject of justice, or righteousness, was one of the subjects which attracted the attention of Epiphanes. I propose that the origin of the Coptic passage goes back to the second-century effort to assimilate Platonic ideas about the human soul into Christian ethics. Although various apologists accused Carpocrates and Epiphanes of sexual immorality, I focus on the possibility that Christians with Platonic tendencies were exploring the nature and power of human passions and considering how they could be controlled. The place of the excerpt in the Nag Hammadi collection is not coincidental but goes along other mythological and didactic treatises within.