 Let's talk about passion. Passion, like the obsessive cyclist who tears their ACL from ignoring doctors' warnings to give their body a break. If you don't know any cyclists, try thinking of the obsessive secret lover who murders their lover's spouse or the dad who took on a second job to send his daughter to weekly cheerleading lessons. Every individual has been in a moment where they're completely overtaken by an undying amount of passion. Sometimes it drives us to do things we normally wouldn't. We bend the standards we set for ourselves to excuse the poor actions of our loved ones. We push our minds and bodies to a more extreme level or we convince ourselves to agree with things we don't want to participate in for the sake of another's benefit. Do you think passion makes us irrational? In 1989, 96 spectators were killed at the Hillsborough Stadium in England. Why? They were crushed to death by a stampede of thousands of passionate fans who rushed into the already filled capacity stadium. Now let's think about it. Did these thousands of incoming fans possess rational minds in that given moment? Probably not. They were so overfilled with excitement and passion to see their favorite English soccer teams. If rationality was still intact, would those 96 people still be alive today? Earlier this year I discovered my love for high-intensity cycling. Intervals of sprints, high-resistance mountain climbs and straight cruising, it was all too thrilling of a feeling. Medical professionals recommend cyclists only participate in three one-hour sessions of high-intensity cycling per week to avoid over usage of joints and ligaments since it's a rigorous sport. Guess what? I decided I could handle more and committed myself to 12 sessions per week, also known as four times the recommended. I woke up one morning and was incapable of mobility in my legs. The doctor then informed me I greatly overused the ligaments in my knees and now have to avoid all forms of cardio except swimming. See what I did there? I let my natural passionate mentality lead me to cycling myself into the extreme levels of irrationality. But what's life without passion? We all live for something. To form ourselves into our full potentials, to serve an almighty power, to aid others in a compassionate manner. What's a basketball game without that evident desire from each player to score another point? What's a professor without their love for the students' well-being? What's a relationship without the expression and affection of emotions? So even if passion makes us irrational, the profoundness of life wouldn't exist without it. Mankind has a tendency to deny or shield our emotions and vulnerability, but we all possess a high level of emotions. The crucial action is to be capable of detecting when it's worth it and when it's not. What are your thoughts? When was a time you sunk into irrationality due to a high level of passion? Leave a comment below and if you're passionate about psych to go, don't forget to subscribe and check out our website.