I've seen some evidence to support her view. But overall, I don't think that my opinion of the human race en toto is quite as high as hers. It is usually the result of a character flaw. There is a need unfulfilled in a person's life that makes him or her pursue a goal with frenzied obsession. Low self-esteem causes passion, or a longing for something that you lack, or a sense that if it isn't perfect it isn't worthy.
Passion creates a Picasso, one who revolutionizes and lives a comfortable life.
It also creates a Melville, one who struggles through perennial hardship and is never recognized until after death. For all those who are cursed with passion, be it real or simulated, I have advice. Find a cause or project that doesn't involve the masses. I think it best to leave the dispassionate where they are. If you want to do something to end apathy, do it without their help.