The line between admiration and obsession...?

Question

Just for starters, I can't seem to word this right. So, bear with me and I'm going to put it into single sentences to help me.

*I have an idol. She is my hero. Gisele Bundchen.

*People who have idols/heroes have them for a reason, right?

*They like their personality, spirit, and beliefs.

*Some people want to be exactly like their idols/heroes.

*But when does it become an obsession rather than just admiration?

I probably didn't explain to everyone's satisfation, so just answer anything you want that pertains to the question.

I know the definition of both. What I'm asking is when does it become obsessive?

Answer 1

Admiration is an objective appreciation. There's a healthy distance between you and the object you admire, so you don't latch on to it. You remain in your center. Obsession is a form of addiction. You latch on to the object trying to draw some sustenance from it that, in the case of admiration, you get from yourself. Like addiction, you can't let go of obsession because you think you can't live without the object. It's an unhealthy attachment, whereas admiration is a healthy detachment.

Answer 2

Admiration: –noun 1. a feeling of wonder, pleasure, or approval.
2. the act of looking on or contemplating with pleasure: admiration of fine paintings.
3. an object of wonder, pleasure, or approval: The dancer was the admiration of everyone.

Obsession: 1. the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
2. the idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.
3. the state of being obsessed.
4. the act of obsessing.