In today’s VC-charged online world of startups, you hear a lot of buzzwords. Words like “cloud” and “social” and so on. There’s one word that’s been around for a long time, but it’s been turned into a buzzword; this word’s meaning has been so warped that we’ve forgotten it’s true meaning.

Passion.

Many people claim that they have a passion for programming or design. They say they have a passion for software development when what they mean is that they are enthusiastic about it.

“Passion” is a word that finds its roots in the Latin verb patior, which means “to suffer.” Having passion for something requires that you are willing to sacrifice for it, that you will suffer for your passion.

I don’t doubt that lots of people are passionate about software development. If you care about your craft, and are willing to personally sacrifice for it, then you’re passionate. That’s the difference between passion and enthusiasm.