Obsession is something not so well seen by society simply because it means that the obsessed person is somehow tied or conditioned by that obsession. Yes, of course this is right in certain situations, especially when those situations are hurtful for us, but is it bad when it comes to our craft?
Let’s take a look about what being obsessed means. It means to think about something all the time without the ability to stop. It also means that we get cranky/frustrated/pissed off when we cannot think or do what that obsession implies. Basically, it’s an addiction (you can see here my post about addictions). Sure, it all seems like a bad thing, but how come all successful people below say we need to be obsessed with our craft in order to master it?
I think obsession is required to achieve mastery. That is simply because someone that puts 10 hours of workweek in his/hers craft will be “beaten” by someone who puts 50 hours of workweek in his/hers craft. Okay, we can take into consideration talent and things like that, but in time, experience will make the difference. Moreover, obsession will bring so much more experience than anything else because the mind and the behavior will be oriented towards that craft.
What do you think about this? Is obsession required to achieve mastery?