Many folks look at obsession as a bad thing. I see it from a different perspective since I am obsessive by nature. 
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That immediately brings up the question of, “how obsessive must you become before that obsession actually becomes an real obsession. That brings the definition itself into a quick google search (below) which shows to a “troubling extent” or “constantly worrying about [the project/idea] something” to be the guiding principle. Yet, to what extent is troubling considered? Not being able to have relationships socially, not minding food, water, & shelter, disregarding their own mental or physical well-being . . . What does that vague description imply?

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I can go a step further. From hearing firsthand about guys quitting jobs, leaving wives/children, foreclosures, and losing conviction for their career paths over World of Warcraft, I saw how the game could suck you into an a new world and certain people would give all their energy towards the game’s goal. 

…I include myself there, except I had no mortgage, children, wife, or even a career track to lose. They did. And some lost things. And that is certainly a point of obsessive behavior that is by definition. 

…for topics like golf, cross-fit, running, and other physical activities, the results can be fairly obvious (but hidden) by signs of overtraining and the physical strain it places. Along with constant soreness and obvious fatigue. 

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Does my bostaff or flexibility obsession qualify as such. I work in a tube shop and I enjoy the bostaff. I am constantly reminded how badly I want a slick aluminum or titanium tube for training. I am thinking about posture and flexibility within almost every minute of every day. I strive for a balance of stoic discomfort, flexibility/balance postures, and total relaxation. I am certainly obsessed, but to what harm?

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I’ve obsessed during my welding training. Then during drafting school. Then over several women. But there’s always been a constant obsession with weight control, lifting, training, and all things nutrition. I’ve had the W.O.W. obsession. A strategy game obsession for years, but no outlet… which is ramping up in a strong way with recent board game groups. And there’s the bostaff obsession…did I say that already. Or is the obsession of planning the future included?

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I obsessively dropped 84 pounds of fat over the course of 14 months once upon a time. Then I obsessively went into a dark spiral that led to quickly gaining weight. Fueled by depression — I still had an odd obsession to eat in a gluttonous manner that led to significant weight gains. Though, knowing how dramatically I can shift in attitude, I was obsessively pushing the natural limits of my own weight gain. 

…Looking at the definition, is only the depressive fat binge & W.O.W. experience the only true obsessive behavior?

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…my W.O.W. experience actually broke my inability to sit for extended periods. It also honed my deep concentration abilities to where I can easily sit at a computer screen for fourteen hours straight, with minimal breaks. This still only holds true if I am in an immersive environment like a video game or a CATIA design center. A project where skill, learning, experimentation, and creativity are all components of the experience is essential for this ability to manifest. Yet, without that initial boon of immersion, I may have never fully developed the ability to sit and do. 

…while the fat binge was actually an experiment. A sick one perhaps. I had full awareness throughout, but the darkness set the mood. I learned much in the cleanse process that soon followed. My eyes are open to a new trough of ideas, partially due to recovery from obesity. I learned of fasting, importance of hormones, macro nutrition myths, and much more. If you take this into consideration, was it not ultimately a great prospect?

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There are multitudes of term papers written about folks like Edison, Tesla, Jobs, Buffet, and many others regarding their obsessions. The noteworthy accounts are certainly accomplishments that brought much success to others and themselves — not to be stuck on a silly definition, but how is this considered a troubling condition?

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5/24/2017 Wednesday, 9:23pm