Merging Possibility & Necessity

“Imagination must propel a person to something higher than the murky atmosphere of probability and teach them to hope.”

It’s not difficult to picture legendary Apple visionary Steve Jobs as the source of such stirring words. He was the master of what those around him referred to as a reality distortion field. His charismatic belief drew others in, propelling them far beyond the gravitational pull of the murky atmosphere of probability. He didn’t simply teach them to hope, but rather to believe the impossible was to be expected. He didn’t simply speak of possibility – he engendered it!

But those words did not come from Jobs. Rather, they originate with Danish theologian and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), more than a century B.J. (Before Jobs). He wrote of the despair encompassing the human life lacking possibility, emphatically proclaiming “the battle of faith… battles madly for possibility.” Like Jobs, possibility was Kierkegaard’s north star. And yet, he knew it could not – must not – exist in a vacuum. For possibility to bear the desired fruit requires its antithesis: Necessity. Possibility left unfettered became lost in fantasy, devoid of any meaningful value. To embody true meaning, possibility requires the context of necessity.

As of this writing, Apple is the single most valuable company in the world, a world that would look quite different from its current form were it not for the possibility-seeking, reality-distorting Steve Jobs. At least that’s the story we like to tell ourselves. But that narrative is missing something. Yes, Kierkegaard was right. Possibility – the act of creation – is central to fully living. Yet it only does so effectively when merged with necessity. That’s where Steve Wozniak comes in.

Behind the scenes, Wozniak, or “Woz” as he was known, encompassed necessity, turning Jobs’ possibilities into realities. He built the computers Jobs conceived. He designed and developed the machines previously existing only in Jobs’ alternative universe, bringing them into ours. Reality distortion? Woz brought the reality to Jobs distortion. He was necessity to Jobs’ possibility. No Wozniak – no Apple.

And yet the reverse is equally true: No Jobs – no Apple. A singular emphasis on necessity (focusing on the finite – the actual) produces a life of triviality, of becoming “one more repetition of the perpetual monotony.” (Kierkegaard)

What is that still, small, inner voice telling you as you consider the Possibility/Necessity synchronicity in your own life, work or overall health & wellbeing journey? Does your personal history point to a gap in need of filling, either through internal realignment or complimentary external support? While we don’t have the option of choosing between necessity and possibility (both are required), we do have the choice about whether to adapt (internal) or adopt (external). Adaptation occurs when we expand our internal bandwidth. As you look back over your life, you will likely notice a leaning toward either possibility or necessity. Perhaps this is due to early childhood experiences (e.g., lack of family stability naturally resulted in a need to seek necessity) or peer feedback (“she’s the idea person”). Or maybe you just naturally glean onto one more than the other. Increasing bandwidth involves tuning into this personal history and investing time and attention on developing the less developed of the two. The adoption alternative, as we saw occur with Apple’s two Steves, is to seek out others who complement our own natural proclivity.

To live a full and meaningful life, this principle – fusing together these two paradoxical concepts – must permeate the very fabric of our personal universe. Necessity and possibility. Work and play. Yin and yang. Night and day. One cannot – must not – live, at least not if desiring to express the full meaning of “live” – exclusively in one of the two worlds. Instead, we are called to:

Reach for the stars

            From a firm foundation

Love with abandon

            Practically demonstrated

Live life fully

            Allowing a full life

Seek beyond possible’s boundaries

            With necessity guiding the way

The magic is in the merging. The power through the pairing. The significance as we synchronize. That is precisely my aim as I sit down each week to compose these columns: provide a catalyst for reflection, hope, opportunity, and possibility, tied together with an attitude of (and encouragement toward) practical action. Yet – you’ll notice direct answers (“do this”) are rare, if present at all. Those come from within you, as you reflect, ponder, and potentially (depending on your worldview) pray.

In doing so, we open our dreary eyes from our sleepwalking journey, stepping outside the predetermined path of least resistance we’ve habitually created over time. Examined under the fresh, new light, the impossible (or simply “never considered”) bends, shifts and reforms. The “I am” is identified as the heart – the very essence of possible, reconfiguring “Impossible” into “I am possible” as necessity molds what could be… toward the reality of what is.