Not quite a fully-fledged aphorism, “the power of one” is nonetheless influential enough to incorporate into our day-to-day existence, bringing some degree of hope and imagination to lives dulled by indifferent culture. The everyday can be wearing, and the suggestion that any single person could make a grand difference is a rather distant and foreign concept for many.

Daily burdens weigh heavily on a most of the world’s population. “But, this isn’t what I signed up for,” rises the lament. A case can be made to the contrary, however. The choices we make, the people we enga...