Pronunciation: en-'te-l&-kE
Function: noun, plural -chies

A Greek philosophical concept coined by Aristotle.

The word entelechy is one of my favourite words and it means ‘realising one’s potential’. The word potential is bounded around about a lot in a variety of contexts. The point is that potential is something that every human possesses, some people realise theirs and others do not.

Intellectually I have the capacity to understand complex issues and problems. I do not claim to be the most intelligent person around; I have met many people who are far smarter than I am. The difference I believe is that I can see the interconnections between multiple aspecks, although at times I may be ignorant or naïve, as we may all be. If I can understand a problem and possible solutions to it, then it is my responsibility to do something about it. I may not be directly affected by problems in a distant land but when I see people dying unnecessarily then that does affect me and each and every one of us.

I may not be in a position of power to direct influence the issues that I care about but that is because I am in the process of realising my potential, I have the knowledge to influence the things I want to change and I am gaining the wisdom to know that which I can do little about. The point is life is a continuously learning experience.

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