On the Concept of Passion

This chapter introduces the concept of passion. In doing so, it presents some of the lay conceptions of passion that have been used through the ages. These include passion as enduring suffering, as intense emotions, as love (and sex), and finally, as love for an activity. The chapter discusses some of the reasons why a scientific study of passion is important, and then moves on to explore some of the justifications for writing a book on passion at this point, including the fact that passion permeates people’s lives, that it can reveal much about people, and that numerous studies have recently been published using the Dualistic Model of Passion as a theoretical backbone. Finally, the chapter briefly introduces the five sections of the book and the thirteen chapters.