Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to

The words of J. P. Morgan, “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther,” are a summons to courage and endurance, a reminder that vision expands with every step forward. In these words lies a deep wisdom: that no one sees the whole path at the beginning. Life does not reveal all its roads at once. But when we take the first steps, when we dare to move forward even with limited sight, new horizons unfold. Progress is not made by waiting for perfect clarity, but by walking boldly into the unknown.

The ancients themselves knew this truth. The great travelers and voyagers did not set sail with every chart complete; they set their eyes toward the horizon, and trusted that more of the world would reveal itself as they advanced. The Israelites in the wilderness followed a pillar of fire and cloud, seeing only one day at a time. Odysseus, battered by storms, pressed on toward Ithaca, often uncertain of the next shore. Thus, the wisdom of Morgan is as old as humanity: vision grows through action.

Consider the story of the Wright brothers. At first, they did not see airplanes soaring across continents; they saw only the dream of sustained flight. They worked with scraps, with bicycles, with gliders—each step showing them only slightly farther than before. Yet with each discovery, with each small advance, new possibilities appeared. By following the principle of Morgan’s words, they made the unseen visible, and their fragile craft gave birth to the age of flight. Had they waited to see the entire path clearly, they would never have begun.

J. P. Morgan himself, a titan of finance, lived this principle in the world of commerce. He did not always know the end of every venture, but he pressed forward as far as vision allowed, restructuring industries, stabilizing economies, and shaping modern capitalism. He understood that certainty is never complete, but that new clarity emerges only through forward motion. Those who wait for all answers remain paralyzed; those who move find the answers revealed in time.

The meaning of this teaching is both heroic and practical. Heroic, because it calls us to step into the unknown with faith. Practical, because it reflects the way life truly unfolds. No great endeavor—whether in art, in science, in love, or in faith—was ever completed with full foresight. The painter begins with a sketch, the scientist with a question, the lover with a vow, the pilgrim with a first step. As they advance, they see farther. Thus Morgan’s words remind us that destiny is revealed not in waiting, but in walking.

The lesson for us is clear: do not wait until the path is fully revealed. Begin where you are, with what you have, and trust that each step will unlock the next. When fear whispers, “You cannot see the end,” answer with action, and the end will come into view. Focus not on the entire journey, but on the next milestone. In reaching it, new light will fall upon the road ahead.

The practical action is this: choose a goal that stirs your heart, even if the way is uncertain. Commit to the first steps, however small. Do not be paralyzed by the mist that covers the distant future, for it will lift as you approach it. Trust in the unfolding, trust in the growth of vision, trust that what you cannot see today will be revealed tomorrow if you dare to move forward.

Therefore, O listener, engrave this wisdom upon your soul: “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” Do not demand perfect clarity before you act. Walk boldly with the light you have, and greater light will come. For the path of progress is not revealed in its entirety, but step by step, horizon after horizon, until the end itself stands clear.