
How can one become obsessed with anything? - playing_colours
I think being obsessed with some subject is a way to master it, to create something great. It&#x27;s a mark of prominent creators.<p>I have several interests like AI, blockchain, maths, etc. I feel like I want to create something great in one of those areas, something I can be proud of and other people can use. I make some progress in them, but I think I am very causal and relaxed to push myself to invest more into my interests. I feel like it&#x27;s a lack of some focus, craziness, passion, obsession, whatever.<p>Is it possible to grow and cultivate obsession, passion, or it&#x27;s a matter of hormones, genetics, neurology, something out of our control?
======
dmfdmf
I think that creativity is _essentially_ an emotional process hence its tie to
what you call being "obsessed". There are two cognitive errors that are
inhibiting your creativity.

The first is if, in general, you repress your emotions, i.e. feel them yet
stifle them instead of allowing yourself to feel them, then you are
unavoidably also stifling your creativity. Many people are afraid to express
their emotions especially the negative ones like hate, fear, anger, etc. out
of fear of social disapproval or in the mistaken belief that rationality means
to be unemotional, like Spock. The problem is that the good emotions like
love, joy, happiness, desire, etc. get repressed in the cross-fire as
repression indiscriminately chops off your highs and lows.

The second cause is being uncertain about what you believe is true and right
and thus self-doubt that you will be worthy of or able to even achieve
success. In any serious endeavor you are going to run into resistance from
naysayers and other barriers to your goal. More importantly, such goals are
inherently selfish and there is 2000 years of anti-selfish propaganda floating
around the culture. One common adage to counter the self-doubt is to "fake it
till you make it" which many rational people dismiss as obvious non-sense.
However, that adage is not meant as advice to be dishonest or a "faker" but to
take action regardless of your self-doubt or fears, because in the end you
will develop the skills, ability, mental toughness to achieve and enjoy the
ends you seek.

The goal is not to fear and repress your emotions nor to go through life
without strong convictions (what you believe is true and right) but to
understand both and change them if necessary. The good news is that there is
an Rx for both of these cognitive errors which is to write a daily journal to
examine and revise your conscious convictions and your subconscious emotions.
Moreover, to counter the onslaught of anti-selfishness in the culture and lay
down a path to being integrated in mind/body and thought/action you should
read Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishness" and "Philosophy:Who Needs It".

