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It's been said that an ocean lies between what's said and what's done. I was thinking last night about another ocean: what could be and what is. In my mind, to even call the ocean a stream would be overstating the difference. That's because, in my mind, there is no difference.

The traditional view of possibility is that just because an action is possible does not imply that that action occurred. I'm thinking otherwise.

If a person lacks legs, we say that he can't walk. It's not something that we need to put a lot of thought into. He lacks the instruments necessary to walk (in this case, being legs), so we say that walking is an impossibility. Now, consider a man who has legs, but he's so fatigued that he lacks the energy to walk. Again, not a stretch to say that this man cannot walk either. He also lacks an instrument necessary to walk: energy.

Now, consider a person who has legs and energy. However, he is not walking. He'd rather be sitting watching television or typing away on his laptop. He lacks another important instrument to walk (perhaps the most important instrument): a reason. Traditionally, we would say that this person can walk as there is nothing hindering him from walking, but we never consider that lacking a reason can be a hindrance just as valid as the rest.

Consider fire: if you have heat, fuel and oxygen (in the proper amounts), you will have fire. If you lack any of those elements, you cannot have a fire. It's a biconditional relationship: one implies the other. This is how I view possibility and reality: not just what cannot happen will not happen, but also what can happen will happen.¹

What does this mean to you and me? Remember the ocean that lies between what's said and what's done? In order to cross it, one must have a reason or a desire to cross it. The whole “Yes, we can!” mantra might be a lie. I prefer to say: “If we could have, we would have.”

1. As much as I believe that possibility biconditionally implies reality, you will still hear me talk of possibility in terms of its traditional view. If you hear me use those terms contrary to how I describe them here, do not correct me.