Obsessively Passionate Workers Experience More Negative Emotions and Stress; Report Lower-Level of Psychological Wellbeing, Study Says

In a new study, psychology scholars explained why people tend to acquire an obsessive form of passion in workplaces. The findings also tackled why this kind of obsession has continued to dominate workplaces despite its harmful effects.

Obsessive Passion at Workplace and Its Negative Effects

According to lead author Benjamin Schellenberg, obsessively passionate people experience more stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. They also report lower levels of psychological wellbeing.

The research aimed to identify the factors that push workplaces to be commonly dominated with obsessive passion in the modern-day, despite the obvious negative impacts it brings to one's mental health.

The researchers theorized that the phenomenon remains rampant because the working class believes that they will succeed by simply being obsessively passionate.

Schellenberg and his colleagues conducted a series of examinations where the participants were asked to imagine themselves in various workplace scenarios. The simulation included the typical work phases such as hiring, promotion application, and working under a different supervisor.

Throughout the experiments, most participants said that obsessive passion in themselves and other people present a higher chance of achieving greater success with a "bottom-line mentality."

Schellenberg explained that workplaces with a bottom-line mentality put most of their interest in profits, productivity, and performance. Meanwhile, they pay little attention to personal relationships and the wellness of workers.

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Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passion

According to Forbes, Schellenberg's recent findings reflect the "dualistic model of passion" first presented by the University of Quebec's Robert Vallerand. The model draws a line between the elements of harmonious passion and obsessive passion.

The two versions in the model involve a devotion of intense energy and time, as well as the interest or love for the activity. Even though the two subjects are identical, there is a significant difference between harmonious and obsessive passions.

Harmonious passion is the pursuit of activity with a sense of flexibility and balance. On the other hand, obsessive passion presents an overwhelming urge to carry out an activity and be wholly preoccupied with it.

Harmonious passion, according to Schellenberg, was already proven to correlate with positive outcomes in emotional experiences, wellbeing, and interpersonal relationships.

On the other hand, obsessive passion was also observed to have links with adaptive outcomes in some situations. But Schellenberg said that harmonious passion, unlike its counterpart, could support people in most cases.

The authors said that a workplace with a bottom-line mentality could lead to employees achieving outcomes illegally or unethically. Moreover, believing in becoming obsessively passionate in such an environment will only make things worse.

Research has shown that one can be as productive even when their passion is predominately harmonious.

The study titled "Lay theories of obsessive passion and performance: It all depends on the bottom line" was published in Personality and Individual Differences.

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