Paul Carvel, A Belgian writer, once said “Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion.” When the word “obsession” is heard, people initially assume that it’s a bad thing and they generally link addiction to obsession.The reality is that those two are similar but not the same. Additionally, obsession is only bad if that’s how you make it out to be. There can be bad obsessions, as well as good obsessions. In my personal experience, I have had my own fair share of obsessions.

For over five years of my life, I have had an obsession with volleyball. My passion for it has been growing stronger and stronger and I’m constantly looking for opportunities to play, only so that I’m able to further pursue it, even after I complete …show more content…
You see people like Alexis Ren, Sommer Ray, Kim Kardashian, etc. post all about their “perfect” lives and their very risqué photos, but no one ever sees the reality of their lives. No one truly knows what goes on behind the scenes, and people assume that everything they see on the internet is completely real and true. They think that if their lives don’t look like that, then they’re doing something wrong and that they absolutely must achieve what they’re showing to the world. Many people in this world go to great extents and get plastic surgery to alter how they look, just so they’re able to look like the models they see online. They become so immersed in what they see online, that they don’t even care about the health risks that stem from plastic surgery. These obsessions are tremendously unhealthy, especially when it’s currently affecting teens all around the world. On the other hand, when you become obsessed with school, sports, religion, etc., that’s when things are different. When you’re so passionate about getting good grades, working towards getting chosen as the libero for your dream university volleyball team, or constantly spreading God’s word and trying to make an impact on others, these all become healthy obsessions. Constantly thinking about studying and getting your homework and assignments in on time is not …show more content…
Addiction is defined as “The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” When you’re addicted to your phone, drugs, alcohol, etc., you and/or your body grow so used to it, that once it’s taken away from you, you go crazy and cannot function properly. Although addiction and obsession are both very similar, there is one vital characteristic that makes these things very different; control. When it comes to obsessions, you still have control over yourself and you’re controlling the obsession. However, addictions are the complete opposite. Addiction controls you, and you are basically trapped. When you’re a regular drug user, your body depends on the drug you’re consuming, and when you stop using it, your body cannot run without it at all whatsoever. Even though you’re able to control an obsession, it’s very easy for an obsession to control you. A great example of this is Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgeralds’ The Great Gatsby. Gatsby was immensely obsessed with his past and all of his wealth, and it ended up being fatal for him. He once had a relationship with a girl, they stopped talking,