Passion

I thrive off of the passion of others. I really think that I could listen to a person talk about something they are truly passionate about for hours regardless of how inconsequential the subject may actually be for me. Passion lends excitement to what would otherwise be a tedious, autopilot sort of existence. This passion-for living, for doing, for learning, for playing, for anything-is so exciting and fulfilling to be immersed in and inspires me to exploit my own passions as well.
John Stuart Mill theorized about a marketplace of ideas and how significanlty open discourse through freedom of speech and the like influence politics, culture, society, and the future formulation of ideas in general. This open discourse is no longer merely an abstract philosophy that may or may not truly be a real phenomenon. I learn more from my daily conversations than I do in most of my classes, but it is a different type of knowlege. I don't like everything I've learned, but I love that I've learned it.