Sunday, March 2, 2025

word: Enthusiasm

 God Within | Religious Studies Center

Enthusiasm” has a fascinating etymology and an equally fascinating intellectual history. It comes from the Greek enthousiasmos, which consists of the root words “theos” (god) and “en” (in). Thus “enthusiasm” literally means “God within.” I like that. To be enthusiastic is to be inspired or, more precisely, possessed by God. In ancient Greece, enthusiasm connoted a sort of divine madness.


The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word “entheos” which means the God within. And the happiest, most interesting people are those who have found the secret of maintaining their enthusiasm, that God within. - Earl Nightingale (author of The Strangest Secret)



In modern usage, enthusiasm refers to intense enjoyment, interest, or approval expressed by a person. The term is related to playfulness, inventiveness, optimism, zest, verve, and high energy.[1] The word was originally used to refer to a person possessed by God, or someone who exhibited intense piety.




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