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Precision Over Passion


A TV commercial recently caught my attention.  The CEO of the company was the spokesman and he was quite proud of the product that his company makes.  As he described a bit of the manufacturing process, he claimed that the product was made with passion. 

I recently read some Old Testament passages that made reference to craftsmen who used their skills to build the tabernacle.  For example:

“And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains.  They were made of fine twined lined and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked”.  (Ex. 36:8)

These craftsmen were entrusted with making items for the tabernacle that had very precise specifications.  While they may have made the items with passion, that was not the defining quality that set apart these workmen and their work.  It was their skill and craftsmanship.

While passion is great, when it is expressed according to some of its dictionary meanings, that of “an outbreak of anger” or “a strong and barely controllable emotion”, I’m not sure its always a good quality to have in the manufacturing process.  With too much passion or when passion is expressed at the wrong time, it seems there is great potential for the product to be made in ways that might not meet quality standards, especially for precision products. 

Precision products probably should be made with diligence and skill.  But if the work can be done with those first and foremost, then there probably is room for passion to be involved in the process.

So while it can be good to have passion, in certain areas I think I would prefer precision over passion!

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