When men have a passion for something, it's inspiring and attractive. Even if the artistic types drive me insane, I give them props for having a passion for something. I'd much rather talk to someone who has passion than some loser who sits on his couch and just wants to do drugs all day, whines about how life and society sucks and just leeches every ounce of happy from your soul. God, I hate those types. lol
I was actually discussing this with someone else the other day: I was thinking back to my dating history, and I shit you not that every guy I've dated seriously (dated seriously meaning more than one date and lasted a few months) was an engineer. lol I don't know why, but I have to get involved with a smart guy who has passion and interests in something.
I think this might also be why people say girls go for bad boys. Usually, bad boys are emphatic, eccentric and have a passion for something. Yeah, they might be douchebags, but they have interests. The good guy (or nice guy) doesn't always have an interest in anything and sometimes can be pretty emo and annoying about life. For me, I have an immediate turn off switch when someone talks to me about how life is shit and how everything is shitty blah blah.