Reflect

The 19th-century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard describes hope as passion for the possible. In a compelling values statement, he writes, “Were I to wish for anything I would not wish for wealth and power, but for the passion of the possible, that eye which everywhere, ever young, ever burning, sees possibility.” It’s a challenge to each of us: Would we choose wealth and power or the ability to see possibility with clarity and passion? In a kind of infinite loop, the latter is both an embodiment of hope and an invitation to hope. Hope results from passion for the possible, and passion for the possible gives power to hope.