I'm a fine one to talk. I am the most passive person, mild to a fault (don't tell my husband I said that) and am happiest sitting in a reflective state, working away at my computer.
It won't do for writing, however. Passivity is the death of robust writing. Unless you have very good grounds that will stand up in court, you should always try to be active. Consider these examples...
The letter upset him; the news it contained was distressing. In this sentence the letter and the news are the focal point of interest and the person in receipt of them is merely a sideshow. Turn it around -- He was upset by the letter; the news it contained distressed him - and immediately you have a greater sense of urgency and identification.
The same principle applies in the following example: The building was captured by the rebels after a lengthy firefight / The rebels captured the building after a lengthy firefight. Not only does the second version use fewer words, therefore making it more punchy, the rebels, who are the subject of the incident, are in the driving seat, making the whole sentence more dynamic.
It might be helpful to try this out for yourself. Write down a list of ten passive actions and then convert them into active ones. This will help to give you a solid grounding in the difference between the two modes, so that you get a feeling for which one will work best when you come to apply it to your own writing.
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