I meant that dedication is when you make yourself do something in order to achieve a goal, while passion is doing that thing for it's own sake. That's what I th

I meant that dedication is when you make yourself do something in order to achieve a goal, while passion is doing that thing for it's own sake. That's what I think the girl meant. Which is the opposite of what the GP was talking about. Clearly, doing anything significant requires dedication - you aren't going to enjoy every moment. And people become passionate about whatever they do. Or they have passion for the goal they are dedicated to. The contradiction is artificial. But I can see that, if the speaker felt like her life was full of dedication, without passion, she'd feel very unfulfilled.