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“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”
W.B. Yeats – The Second Coming
If passion detracts from rational thought it is bound to negatively impact a person’s decision making process. There are many things reason is poor for, but deciding between alternatives is not one of them.
This raises questions about the impact of this logic on decisions we believe should be based on passion. No one believes a nation’s macroeconomic policy should be determined by how politicians feel about it. In this case it is the opposite, as commonly accepted wisdom is to increase spending in times of scarcity and to conserve in times of plenty. It does become an issue when we choose who we marry based on how we feel about them right now. Does this mean we should be denied the choice of who we marry? Clearly not, but it does mean we should strive to make decisions based not on transient things, but rather on facts with staying power. This implies that passion is transient, but I digress.
Yeats does not say that those with passionate intensity are the worst, but only that the worst are filled with it. Peoples’ passions are usually directed at the good, and if not that, are at least ethically neutral.
As passions are emotional, the passionate are not easily reasoned with when it comes to those passions. This is the root of the truth in his statement. For example, it is difficult for a Canucks fan to accept that their team simply wasn’t as good as Boston in the playoffs. When someone’s passions are directed at the bad and they cannot be dissuaded from that path they can easily become the worst.
The question as to whether Yeats is correct thus comes down to his assertion that those without conviction are the best. If ‘convictions’ is held to mean completely unchanging views he would seem to be. One can be without convictions and still move against the current of common opinion. It is not true that a person must be a ‘flip flopper’ if they are without conviction. However, it is true that they must take in to account others’ opinions, as they do not believe in the infallibility of their own views. In an age where listening if getting more difficult because of the noise this respect is something we could all use a little more of.
Swimming in Lake Mead
Political Science What really appeals to me is breaking down real world problems into theories and coming up with solutions to them. Development and post-conflict reconstruction are of particular interest to me. I hope to work for an NGO or think tank one day, coming up with solutions to poverty and conflict in developing countries
Volleyball I have played on intramural teams almost every term in university, and am passionate about the sport
Playing beach volleyball at Balfour LTW (left) and at the Fed Hall courts in UW (right)
Golf I find a round of golf on the weekend, or just heading out to the driving range is a great way to relieve stress
Snowboarding I’ve been snowboarding for several years, and though academics take a toll on the schedule, I like to get out as much as possible.
Snowboarding with the other co-op students from my first work term at UHN
Volunteering at the Royal Medieval Fair, held annually in Waterloo Park
Staff member
Waterloo Store, University of Waterloo Aug ’09 – Apr ’10
- Duties include keeping the store presentable, stocking new items, and providing excellent customer service
Floor Staff
Campus Bookstore, University of Waterloo Jul ’08 – Apr ’10
- Unloaded orders from shipping and stock shelves
- Completed administrative tasks such as calling customers and checking inventory
Co-op Software Developer
Environment Canada, Meteorological Service of Canada Sept ’08 – Dec ’08
- Developed and tested software that translated weather bulletins from English to French as well as an accompanying user interface
- Presented to department on purpose and functionality of the software
Project Analyst
University Health Network, Shared Information Management Services Jan ’07 – Apr ’07
- Conducted an IM/IT and business needs analysis of hospitals within the Toronto Local Area Health Network
- Prepared presentations for hospital Presidents, took minutes, created meeting agendas
Summer Student
GO Transit, Procurement and Contract Services Office Division Jun ’06 – Aug ’06
- Developed a new application for uniform inventory
- Entered data including contract information, purchasing card logs and vehicle usage logs into a database
Grocery Clerk
Sobeys Jul ’05 – Oct ’05
- Stocked shelves and unloaded shipments
- Ensured that displays were well stocked and orderly
