The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to

The words of J. Martin Kohe shine like a beacon of freedom: “The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose.” In this truth lies the foundation of human dignity, for though we may be bound by circumstance, fate, or station, we are never stripped of the inner sovereignty to decide how we shall respond. This choice—to rise or to yield, to love or to hate, to create or to destroy—is the wellspring of all greatness and the measure of every soul.

For kingdoms fall, wealth fades, and even the body weakens with time, but the power to choose endures until the last breath. It is this divine gift that separates man from beast, ruler from tyrant, slave from free spirit. To choose is to wield authorship over one’s destiny, to seize the pen from fate’s hand and write a different line. Thus, Kohe reminds us that no external force, however mighty, can wholly conquer a heart that chooses courage.

History testifies to this with shining clarity. When Viktor Frankl languished in the Nazi concentration camps, all outward liberty stripped away, he discovered that one freedom remained inviolable: the freedom to choose his response to suffering. Though beaten and starved, he chose hope, meaning, and compassion, teaching others to do the same. From that choice was born his immortal work, Man’s Search for Meaning. In his life we see Kohe’s words fulfilled: the greatest power lies not in the chains or in the whip, but in the spirit that refuses to surrender its will.

This wisdom also warns us that every path of life is shaped by the choices we make, whether noble or base. The tyrant who chooses cruelty becomes a slave to his own hatred; the humble who chooses kindness builds a legacy more enduring than crowns. Each day, countless crossroads confront us, and though they may appear small, they carve the shape of our destiny. To treat lightly the power of choice is to squander the very essence of human freedom.

Therefore, let this wisdom be preserved: guard your choices, for they are the architects of your soul. Do not claim weakness where the power of decision still lies within you. For in every moment, even in despair, you may choose courage, and in that courage lies the seed of victory. Kohe’s words are no mere counsel but a summons—to live awake, to act with intent, and to wield the greatest power granted to mankind: the sacred, unyielding power to choose.