I’m not convinced this distinction between passion and desire made by chef Thomas Keller is entirely helpful, at least not in terms of how we ordinarily use these words—interchangeably by and large—when talking about vocational drive. Maybe it does serve as a general corrective against the flaccid “follow your passion” rhetoric, which doesn’t tell anyone how to get from here to there (which is what people want to know). The thing to note is what a good choice writer Mark Wilson made not to get into the distinction in his published interview, and thus this outtake.
It’s not about passion. Passion is something that we tend to overemphasize, that we certainly place too much importance on. Passion ebbs and flows. To me, it’s about desire. If you have constant, unwavering desire to be a cook, then you’ll be a great cook. If it’s only about passion, sometimes you’ll be good and sometimes you won’t. You’ve got to come in every day with a strong desire. With passion, if you see the first asparagus of the springtime and you become passionate about it, so much the better, but three weeks later, when you’ve seen that asparagus every day now, passions have subsided. What’s going to make you treat the asparagus the same? It’s the desire.
If by “passion” Keller really means “mania,” which he seems to, then I’m sure he’s right; no one with a mania for asparagus is going to end up in charge of a kitchen somewhere. What is the source of the energy one must have to work for hours and days and years on end toward a goal? “Passion” is a useful word, maybe the truly right word, because etymologically it suggests suffering and sacrifice (the answer to the above question), but that must not be what most people here in the word, considering it rather a fleeting enthusiasm. It’s association with love would also be a shame to lose. By comparison, “desire” is a passive word—and a word more frequently paired with lust—it’s source the Latin for hope with the word for star in there, essentially “awaiting what fate will deliver.” Still, Keller’s advice is good—one must tap a deep reservoir of sustainable ambition to become good at something, which takes time and dedication—but I’m more inclined to connect that with passion than with desire, those terms rightly understood, if one must choose a word. His impulse to correct a cliche and say something meaningful, however, is laudable. (via kottke)