Where There’s Passion (fire), There’s Blindness (smoke)

This is pretty easy to notice when, as a neutral outsider, we observe other people’s passion induced blindness. ‘Puppy love’ is an easy example of passion’s blindness. ‘Puppy love’ exemplifies the passion of attachment. This ‘positive’ passion is the emotional energy that drives us to reflexively embrace that which we need (i.e., what makes us feel comfortable, secure, strong, etc.). On the flip side is hate. This ‘negative’ passion is the emotional energy that drives us to reflexively avoid that which we fear (i.e., what makes us feel uncomfortable, insecure, weak, etc.).

Either passion dampens the opportunity to stumble upon the undiscovered, the mystery, the indistinct and shadowy. Our things and our ideals are the treasures to which we both passionately cling and fear to lose. The passion that connects us to them prevents discernment from penetrating the four quarters… or so it seems.