Crisis (危機)

I’ve always found the word crisis deeply compelling.
What other word holds within it such a built-in reversal of meaning?

The two Chinese characters that make up the word — 危 (danger) and 機 (opportunity or turning point) — embrace each other like two sides of the same coin.
A state of danger simultaneously contains the potential for a decisive opportunity.

Interestingly, in quantum mechanics, there’s the principle of superposition, which tells us that multiple states can exist at once — until they collapse into one reality the moment we observe.
A crisis is much like that: a moment poised at the threshold of transformation, layered with possibilities.
Depending on how we choose, it can unfold into peril — or open into opportunity.

This isn’t just a word.
It’s a single expression that captures a truth about life itself.