the.com/devotion
the willingness to keep showing up after the magic wears off and the work begins
means deep, steadfast love or loyalty toward someone or something, often expressed through sustained commitment or religious dedication.
from From Latin 'devotio,' the act of vowing oneself — built from 'de-' (down, fully) plus 'vovere' (to vow), the same root that gives us 'vow' and 'votive.' In ancient Rome a 'devotio' could be a soldier's solemn pledge to sacrifice himself for victory, so the word carried weight from the start: not a passing feeling but a giving-over of the whole self. It reached English through Old French 'devocion,' first in a religious sense before widening to any fierce, enduring loyalty.
- word origin
- From Latin devovere, meaning to vow or sacrifice
- brain chemistry
- Long-term bonding runs on oxytocin, not dopamine highs
- animal proof
- Albatrosses keep one mate for decades, reuniting yearly
- monastic root
- Devotio once meant pledging oneself to death in battle
mother teresa — spent 45 years serving the poorest in calcutta, india, founding missionaries of charity
padre pio — italian friar who exhibited stigmata for 50 years and heard confessions 10+ hours daily
florence nightingale — spent life revolutionizing nursing care, working in crimean war hospitals 1853-1856