How to get passionate at something?

[f0olyco0ly]

Is it possible to consciously make mysef passionate at something i hate?

 

[Danger]

I find that chocolate sauce helps.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Is it possible to consciously make mysef passionate at something i hate?

Sounds to me like you're already passionate about it.

 

[micromass]

What might that something be??

 

[Danger]

What might that something be??

Oh...
I just assumed that it was a sexual question...

 

[micromass]

Oh...
I just assumed that it was a sexual question...

That explains the chocolate sauce...

 

[Evo]

Hate it with a passion?

 

[f0olyco0ly]

Eheh guys you're so funny, are you comedians?

 

[Danger]

Eheh guys you're so funny, are you comedians?

Not me. I think that I caught Evo doing a stand-up routine in Baton Rouge a few years ago, but I'm not sure.

 

[f0olyco0ly]

Not me. I think that I caught Evo doing a stand-up routine in Baton Rouge a few years ago, but I'm not sure.

Man, you should try, you would have a bright career, you're killing me with your humour, now don't exaggerate because they might arrest you.

 

[Danger]

they might arrest you.

"They" can't. I'm a Canuck, so Yank humour police have no jurisdiction over me.

 

[Pythagorean]

sit and close your eyes and imagine how you would do it, step by step and how you would overcome potential problems.

 

[Danger]

sit and close your eyes and imagine how you would do it, step by step and how you would overcome potential problems.

Jeez, Python... we had a good thing going here, and you had to go getting all "practical" on us...
What ever are we to do with you?

 

[ThomasT]

Is it possible to consciously make mysef passionate at something i hate?

I suppose you're talking about something you need or want, in some sense, to learn, but find difficult or unappealing for some reason.

Is what you're talking about a necessary tool in some more encompassing endeavor that you are sort of passionate about learning and doing?

 

[f0olyco0ly]

I suppose you're talking about something you need or want, in some sense, to learn, but find difficult or unappealing for some reason.

Is what you're talking about a necessary tool in some more encompassing endeavor that you are sort of passionate about learning and doing?

Yes, exactly.I need to learn calculus and statistics which i don't like at all as a tool to "get" something else that i want.
So i figured that if there exists cognitive behavioural therapy to "cure" depression, maybe there's another "tool" that would make me interested/passional about math, i mean people get attracted/passional about different things, i want that kind of passion.

So i would be a thousand times more productive in my efforts.

 

[f0olyco0ly]

Jeez, Python... we had a good thing going here, and you had to go getting all "practical" on us...
What ever are we to do with you?

Well, we could keep our conversation going forever, sadly i don't know you, you don't know me, you were a little rude to me, targetting a new member like me to have fun with the people you already know on this forum.

I'm not a "serious guy" , but i made this thread with a purpose , i could accept you making fun of it if we were friends, but we're not.
But for now this is not the place for me to exchange humour, maybe it will be in the future, maybe it won't, for now i have other places where to have fun.

 

[ThomasT]

Yes, exactly.I need to learn calculus and statistics which i don't like at all as a tool to "get" something else that i want.
So i figured that if there exists cognitive behavioural therapy to "cure" depression, maybe there's another "tool" that would make me interested/passional about math, i mean people get attracted/passional about different things, i want that kind of passion.

Assuming that you are somewhat passionate about becoming proficient wrt the more encompassing thing, then that should provide sufficient motivation to keep to a schedule of practicing the stuff that you now find somewhat tedious.

The good news is, the more you practice and learn the necessary tedious stuff, the less tedious it will seem. You might even grow to like it in and of itself, independent of your encompassing goal.

So, the behavioral therapy consists of just doing it in an organized/systematic way. But in the beginning you can ease the pain by keeping in mind your higher goal, and that there's only one way to attain it.

I suppose everybody, except savants and certain geniuses, goes through this to a certain extent. Contemplating spending countless hours on something that you regard as dry and uninteresting can be daunting. But I promise you that if you can bring yourself to passionately stick to a reasonable practice/study schedule, then you will be rewarded. If you feel like skipping a session, then remind yourself why it's necessary and why you're doing it. If you feel like stopping early, remind yourself. When you reach the time limit for a particular session, then do just a bit more, and so on. Eventually, the stuff that was hard at first becomes more or less permanently internalized, automatic, intuitive. You begin to see connections and possibilities that you never saw before. Then it becomes fun.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

To get what you want, you have to do some wax on, wax off. If you want to get passionate about it, transfer your passion for the final goal to the tedious goal.

 

[f0olyco0ly]

Thanks, i guess there's no magic pill.
It's interesting how some people get this passion in an istant though.
The problem is that the passion in my higher goal isn't strong either, but at least there's something.

 

[DaveC426913]

Find the beauty, elegance and exquisiteness in it. It's there. Even calculus and statistics. Grow to appreciate how beautifully it does the job it's designed to do. Moreso - does the job you want it to do to pursue your primary passion.

 

[ThomasT]

To get what you want, you have to do some wax on, wax off. If you want to get passionate about it, transfer your passion for the final goal to the tedious goal.

Thanks. You have a knack for stating things as clearly and simply as possible. I think this is also a main ingredient (ingredient?) and primary reason why your humor is humorous. It's insightful and to the point.

 

[DaveC426913]

... primary reason why your humor is humorous...

Well, to hear Jimmy tell it, it's actually because his wife beats him until he gets funny.

 

[Pythagorean]

Jeez, Python... we had a good thing going here, and you had to go getting all "practical" on us...
What ever are we to do with you?

It's my social role, I can't help it. I've been called eater of worlds and party pooper.

 

[ThomasT]

Thanks, I guess there's no magic pill.

Not for us more or less normal humans.

It's interesting how some people get this passion in an instant though.

Maybe they don't. I would suppose that there are as many distinct paths to becoming passionate about something as there are people who are passionate about something.

The problem is that the passion in my higher goal isn't strong either, but at least there's something.

What is your higher goal?

As an aside, one of the things that got me passionate about learning certain things was learning about their history, their development, and the people involved. Learn about the giants in whatever field(s) you might be interested. It might help generate some passion. At least, I don't think it can hurt to do that.

The turning point for me was when somebody told me that radio waves are like ... light. This eventually led to learning about the accomplishments of Maxwell, Faraday, then to Einstein, etc. Einstein was especially influential. I wanted to understand how he thought. I don't think I do, exactly, understand that, but I think I do understand his 1905 papers. Anyway, the point is that studying the methods and results of the preeminent contributors to any field might increase your passion to learn more, and more, about it.

Anyway, best of luck, and, enough talk ... get to work. And let us know from time to time how you're doing. There are lots of PF contributors knowledgeable in calculus, statistics, etc. So ask questions here if you get stuck on something ... paying particular attention to what the Science Advisors and Mentors have to say.

 

[ThomasT]

Well, to hear Jimmy tell it, it's actually because his wife beats him until he gets funny.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

And here, I thought it was because my jokes had stood the test of time.

 

[Danger]

you were a little rude to me, targetting a new member like me to have fun with the people you already know on this forum.

I'm sorry that you interpreted it that way, and I offer my profound apologies. Humour is my way of welcoming new members. If this had been in a sub-forum other than GD, my response would have been more serious. This is where we have fun. Keep in mind, as well, that your original post was incredibly lacking in details. It's not always in your best interest to leave things like that to the imaginations of strangers.

 

[ThomasT]

I'm sorry that you interpreted it that way, and I offer my profound apologies. Humour is my way of welcoming new members. If this had been in a sub-forum other than GD, my response would have been more serious. This is where we have fun. Keep in mind, as well, that your original post was incredibly lacking in details. It's not always in your best interest to leave things like that to the imaginations of strangers.

Nicely done, imo. You are, evidently, a Dangerous person. What's your middle name?

 

[leroyjenkens]

Yes, exactly.I need to learn calculus and statistics which i don't like at all as a tool to "get" something else that i want.
So i figured that if there exists cognitive behavioural therapy to "cure" depression, maybe there's another "tool" that would make me interested/passional about math, i mean people get attracted/passional about different things, i want that kind of passion.

So i would be a thousand times more productive in my efforts.

Force yourself to do practice problems. Set aside some time every day to do some. When you get good, you'll enjoy it more. I find you enjoy things you're good at more than things you're bad at.
Plus there's that feeling of success when you do a problem and look in the back of the book and find out you got the right answer.

Even if you don't like calculus, you might enjoy some of it. I certainly didn't enjoy all of it, but some of it was actually fun.

 

[Danger]

What's your middle name?

Bruce, by virtue of being a direct descendant of Robert the Bruce. Every male in my maternal lineage has Bruce as part of his name.