Sir Philip Sidney’s concept of energia will manifest differently depending on the work, hobby, or spectator sport; but, in general, the relationship should probably note the presence of legitimate passion.

In The Defence of Poesy, Sidney mentions certain writings about love. He says that such works often come across as inauthentic. Sidney wonders if they truly feel the passions, which, to him, are the product of the “same forcibleness, or energia (as the Greeks call it) of the writer.”

Thus, energia appears to signify something like a pure force. It’s a strong, genuine feeling that compels one to do something, like compose a love poem. One might choose a certain line of work, pursue a specific hobby, or root for a particular team out of energia. They feel a robust, visceral impetus to do their job well, to devote significant attention to a hobby, or to energetically cheer on their favorite sports team. There is a force that attracts them to these things, similar to how there is a force that spurs a poet to try and articulate impactful feelings.