Passion and suffering are twins actually

This morning I was reviewing some vocabulary as usual. A new word ‘compassionate’ notify me that I lost its trail in my head. I actually see that word 2 or 3 days before, but I was surprised that I can forget it so soon. So I decided to dig its etymology thoroughly, trying to memorize it more effectively.

First of all, is  ‘-ate’ suffix. It is just used for forming a noun, doesn’t have any special meanings. Then is the ‘com-’ prefix, I had familiarized with this prefix, we can simply say it means ‘with’ or ‘together’. The root ‘passion’ is the most interesting thing, is also today’s inspiration.

When I got the result of ‘passion’, I stunned a while:

c. 1200, "the sufferings of Christ on the Cross; the death of Christ," from Old French passion "Christ's passion, physical suffering" (10c.), from Late Latin passionem (nominative passio) "suffering, enduring," from past-participle stem of Latin pati "to endure, undergo, experience," a word of uncertain origin. The notion is "that which must be endured."

The sense was extended to the sufferings of martyrs, and suffering and pain generally, by early 13c. It replaced Old English þolung (used in glosses to render Latin passio), literally "suffering," from þolian (v.) "to endure." In Middle English also sometimes "the state of being affected or acted upon by something external" (late 14c., compare passive).

In Middle English also "an ailment, disease, affliction;" also "an emotion, desire, inclination, feeling; desire to sin considered as an affliction" (mid-13c.). The specific meaning "intense or vehement emotion or desire" is attested from late 14c., from Late Latin use of passio to render Greek pathos "suffering," also "feeling, emotion." The specific sense of "sexual love" is attested by 1580s, but the word has been used of any lasting, controlling emotion (zeal; grief, sorrow; rage, anger; hope, joy). The meaning "strong liking, enthusiasm, predilection" is from 1630s; that of "object of great admiration or desire" is by 1732.

Do I mistype any alphabets? Nope. I expect some words like ‘enthusiasm’ or ‘actively’ will show up in content, but similar explanations appeared in the last paragraph finally. This is really an interesting result: ‘passion’ actually is the ‘suffering’?

But if we think deeply and widely, take some famous ancients or celebrities as examples, you’ll find that real passion always resides in the toughest situation or environment. We all know Steve Jobs was banished by his own company, how shame he was suffered at that moment? Although he wasn’t getting any success right after quitting his company, he keeps starting one new business after the other, until he was invited back to CEO of the Apple company. His real passion takes him through the hardest situation he ever met, no glory, no happiness, no money. All he has was thinking and exploring.

The most fashion slashie job is be an YouTuber now. Many people have their own live channel, and dream that one day they can quit their current job. They can achieve financial freedom goal by performing dedicated content loved by the specific audience, just like an actor. But if you truly investigate those famous YouTubers, you’ll get the horrible answer that you’ll lose more time or more freedom than your current job. They have to generate new content every time, learn new performing styles to indulge the audience frequently, and study lots of material to support their content. You’ll devote all your energy and resources. Do you have real passions to suffer those kinds of pressure? Or you just think that you’re good at something, or like that atmosphere of the activity, or think it might make more money no matter what it actually is.

Return to the origin vocabulary ‘compassionate’. It means that we can realize the suffering together, so we can have sympathy in our mind. After reading such a lot of materials, and write this article out, the ‘compassionate’ is no more a new vocabulary to me. But the ‘passion’ is definitely becoming a new insight to me.