Passion carries more weight than values

With the weight of an election upon us, we, the general public, are asked to make a choice. To choose how we want Australia to be. To choose how we want to live our lives. To reflect upon what we value and what we don’t.

The problem with this approach is that it is based on a false assumption; that values matter. That values somehow represent who we are, how we choose to live our lives and who we might vote for.

I beg to disagree! We, the humble people and also those who lead us, are not driven nor guided by our values.

We are driven and guided by our passions. And to be driven and guided by your passions means to sometimes compromise on your values and oftentimes realise, when push comes to shove, our values are not what we thought they were!

A case in point is with the numerous fallen politicians this week. I’m sure these men truly believed in the values they espoused to; be that family values, religious values, or the value of integrity, honesty and authenticity.

It wasn’t their so-called values that tripped them up. It was the fact that their varying passions overrode their values-laden rhetoric. So either these aspiring leaders were lying about their values or in the heat of the moment, passion took over, pushing their sacred values aside.

Thus, I propose, ‘passion carries more weight than values.’

However, I put this proposition forward neutrally; it is neither good nor bad as a premise. It’s just a fact.

A fact that can be harnessed for good in the world, such as a passion for the environment, or completing 100 marathons in 100 days to draw attention to the world’s water crisis, or bird watching or barracking for your favourite sporting champion. 

Or a fact that can be harnessed for bad in the world, such as a determination to harm a stranger based on stereotypes and ill-founded fears; or to stalk a woman; or promote hatred purely for the sake of achieving infamy.

In my experience we all tend to endorse more or less the same values, but how we express these: physically, verbally, and through our choices, is defined by what we believe in and where our passions take us, not by a set of values we may aspire to.

Passion carries more weight than values, not only in politics, but in all elements of our lives: work, relationships, lifestyle, buying choices, holiday destinations…

I’m passionate about people and workplace leadership. I believe that it is currently the most powerful leverage to a better world. It has shaped my career trajectory and the work that I do. I value honesty, but definitely fall out of alignment from time to time, sometimes with good reason and occasionally with less noble intent.

What are you passionate about and how does that impact on who you’re being in the the world? Which of your values do you tend to butt up against?