FOMO

From Garfield Minus Garfield.

After I nearly wore myself out at the Venice Bienale last summer trying to hit as many events as possible: receptions, cocktail parties, after parties, pre-parties, dinners, artist talks, video screenings, panel discussions, oh, and art exhibitions, my friend Henry diagnosed me with FOMO - the fear of missing out. This affliction is not life threatening, but it can cause severe exhaustion, occasional grumpiness, and violent bouts of anxiety. Persistent art-filled weekends like the last two days in DC can aggravate the ailment!

At Harvard Business School, it's called FOMO: fear of missing out. Symptoms include a chronic inability to turn down invitations to any party, dinner, or junket attended by anyone who might be a valuable addition to one's network—no matter the cost.

That definition makes FOMO sound so sinister! When you're passionate about something, like contemporary art, the desire to immerse yourself in it comes naturally. The key, of course, is to impose some level of moderation or else pursuing your passion won't be much fun anymore at all.