Everyone loves a good inspirational story. Stories of unlikely success, of “making it” against all odds, or of achieving a lifelong dream. If you’ve ever encountered such stories, it’s likely that the word ‘passion’ was mentioned somewhere.

Passion is a key ingredient in a successful and fulfilling life. Being passionate about something or someone feels good; it gives life meaning and enhances our vitality, making each day a little more exciting. However, research over the past two decades has consistently found that not all passions are created equal, and the wrong type of passion can be a serious obstacle to a healthy, balanced life.

In a large and bright corner office in the French-speaking Université du Québec à Montréal, I met the world-renowned expert on passion, Prof. Robert J. Vallerand. Over 20 years ago, Prof. Vallerand and colleagues conceptualized the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP; Vallerand et al., 2003), which since then has been established as the primary model used in all passion research.

The model suggests that, unlike what we tend to believe about passion, being passionate is not always a positive thing. There are two types of passion: harmonious passion and obsessive passion.

Harmonious passion is the type of passion that is strong and life-enriching,........

© Psychology Today