Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.
Confucious said that real knowledge is knowing the extent of one's ignorance.Aristotle and Socrates said the same thing.Is it a skill that can be taught or learned? It probably can, if you have enough of a stake riding on the outcome...
