Passion Quiz Assignment

When you think of passion, you might want to consider the life of Fredrick Douglas or Albert Einstein. Frederick Douglass was unquestionably the foremost African American of the nineteenth century. As a young man Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) escaped from slavery; his extraordinary life included becoming an abolitionist orator, newspaper editor, advocate, and social reformer, which has inspired many people all over the world.

In no small degree, Brilliant and self-taught, Douglass personified intellectual activism; he possessed a sincere concern for the uses and consequences of ideas. The struggle of African people in America for their liberation and his individual experiences, which he envisioned as symbolizing that struggle, provided the basis and structure for his intellectual maturation.

Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., declared that "No American of his generation did more than Douglass, both in word and deed, to propel his people, and the nation, toward a reckoning with its original sin. Douglas represented the African American, and he revealed in his thinking the deep-seated influence and dynamic tension between his identities as a black and as an American. An inveterate belief in a universal and egalitarian humanism unified Douglass's thought. Douglass was not only an astonishing man of words, but a thinker steeped in Biblical story and theology. By the Civil War and during Reconstruction, Douglass became the most famed and widely traveled orator in the nation. In his unique and eloquent voice, written and spoken, Douglass was a fierce critic of the United States and a radical patriot.

Let us take a moment to think about Einstein, regarded as the twentieth century's most extraordinary intellectual mind. Einstein did not conform to a mold. He was passionate. He thought, "outside the box." However, suppose you looked at his school record. In that case, you may be shocked to know what Einstein's son said about his father: "He told me that his teachers reported that he was mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams."

When Einstein passed away, his brain was studied to see if it was physically different. They wanted to find a way to explain his genius. Initial studies found that Einstein's brain had a higher number of glial cells, protecting and helping form synaptic connections. A study in 1985, "On the Brain of a Scientist: Albert Einstein," found that Einstein's brain was not significantly different from others. So, what made his learning differently? What can we learn from Einstein? For both Einstein and Douglas, knowledge became necessary in following the passion they felt to achieve something. Douglas often talked about his thirst for knowledge and the power of imagination. Douglas and Einstein often talked about this thirst for learning and the power of imagination.

Among the traits and abilities that lead to success, passion stands alone. Passion, an overwhelming drive to reach one’s goals. Despite its importance, the passion remains a difficult skill to define. Trying to identify passion is like trying to identify motivation: the key is to figure out the “why” rather than the “what.”

Think about that thing or that spark the interest you have to do something or be. Passion is what gives us an identity -- something that separates us from others. For some people, it's a sport or music, while for others, it's helping others, traveling, cooking, singing, or learning, etc. Whatever you do, follow your “passions”.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply critical thinking by recognizing underlying assumptions, interpreting, and evaluating relevant information.
• Define one of their passions and investigate resources both on and off-campus that will support their defined passion.
• Understand: (a) the meaning of passion, (b) the role of passion in their lives, and (c) assess the current level of passion that they feel in their day-to-day lives.

The Passion Quiz assignment will provide you with an evaluation of where you stand now in living your passions. You will gain insights into yourself that may be surprising but will lead you to a deeper understanding and connection to what really matters. Your score may provide insight into the following questions:

• How your answers shed light on your connection (or lack of connection) to the purpose for which you are living.
• Whether you are well-connected to your passions or are you sacrificing your needs for others’ agendas.
• What your answers say about your life choices and how you may need to make choices that will raise your happiness level.

Watch the video: Passion and Purpose

Instructions

The Passion Quiz will take 10-15 minutes to complete. You will have to click the Passion Quiz Links to an external site. link and download the pdf file Passion Quiz Self-Assessment .pdf Download Passion Quiz Self-Assessment .pdf

Review each statements in the assessment, and assign the best number to each. You can type your numbers directly on this quiz. At the end of the quiz, add the numbers for your total score. Once you complete the quiz, write a reflective essay with a minimum of 250 words (12-point font, double spaced) based on your interpretation of your passion score.