# The Philosophy of Passion : https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2024/09/30/the-philosophy-of-passion-3/

And also, what will actually “improve“ your life? 

Some morning reflections:

So something that I wrote on pursuing your passion, part of an edited volume written by Terri Anderson, probably the most influential teacher I’ve had of all time, at UCLA sociology, essentially what I wrote at the time, being either 20 or 21 years old, was the virtues of following your passion.

So it looks like, nearly 15 years later, I was right. With a long enough time scale, 15 years, age 21 to 36, I guess I was right.

## Why?

I think the trouble that a lot of people have is pursuing their passion because it is not immediately apparent how we could have an economic payoff. Ultimately because we all live in a capitalistic society, what it comes down to is money making, or money making potential. But if you already have $2 million in the bank, and you know that you’re a bitcoin is going up 55% APY, year over year ,,, in theory indefinitely ... then what?

I just did some math with ChatGPT, $5M -- $10,000 USD, with a 55% APY with bitcoin,  will be big! Once again, that $10,000 you put in it today, assuming that 30 years from now that it could be worth 5 million, wouldn’t it be worth it?

## The $615,000 iPhone Pro

Another big thought, let us say that the new iPhone Pro cost you $1200 USD. With a 55% APY, that $1200 iPhone is going to run you $615,000, about two Lamborghinis, in 30 years! 

## Why is it so hard to think long-term and ahead?

Obviously it does not natural. This difficult to think and predict 30 years from now. Yet, I am shocked… Brad Pitt I think it’s almost 25 years my senior? I think Brad Pitt just turned 60 years old, I’m shocked. I’m 36, so 30 years from now, I’m going to be about the age of Brad Pitt?

I saw a little bit of the new Apple TV WOLFS movie, and the bromance between Brad Pitt and George Clooney was cute. George Clooney looks fantastic, and he is 63 years old! I almost feel like George Clooney is aging in reverse? He is maybe the ultimate anti-fragile handsome actor; the older he becomes, the more handsome and charming he becomes? I’m not 100% sure about the controversy, but I think NASSIM TALEB may have called him out on Twitter a while back being some sort of fake activist? Maybe Clooney was accepting money from the saudis or something? Not 100% sure, but still, objectively George Clooney looks fantastic! 

***

## The ethics of following your passion

This is my personal read on things; I think the critical issue here is that ironically enough… Passion following your passion, or even being passionate has fallen out of Vogue? What that means is we are living in a new age of Malay; all these fake ass woke activist, many of whom are on these Ridiculous plant-based diets, maybe they have a bunch of tattoos, they’re always on Instagram and on their phones, pretend to not care, drink fruit smoothies from Erewhon, kind of try to get into working out, say that eating meat is bad for the planet in the carbon footprint, yet they have a dog, which might be 1 trillion times worse for the “carbon footprint“?

Anyways, my general critique is whenever you meet these strange individuals in the flesh, all of them tend to be quite short, not very attractive, not very good looking, overfat, and actually… Really into fashion? Their fashion choices are very bizarre, it is a will towards uglification,  -- their virtue is ugly, being ugly, and continually self-abnegating themselves to forever become ever more fat, self pitiful and ugly