--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problems of a period are the…" description: "\"The problems of a period are the existential crises of what can be but hasn't yet been resolved; and regardless of how seriously we take that word 'res..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg" --- # The problems of a period are the existential crises of… ![“The problems of a period are the existential crises of what can be but hasn't yet been resolved; and regardless of how seriously we take that word 'resolved,' if there were not some new possibility, there would be no crisis - there would be only despair.” quote by Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg) > “The problems of a period are the existential crises of what can be but hasn't yet been resolved; and regardless of how seriously we take that word 'resolved,' if there were not some new possibility, there would be no crisis - there would be only despair.” [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Existential crises arise when unresolved possibilities loom; without new possibilities, crises become despair, highlighting the need for creative resolution. **In simple terms:** Crisis signals unresolved possibilities. Key Takeaway Seek new possibilities. Themes existential crisis possibility despair Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - innovation - decision making - social change Key Concepts psychology philosophy creativity Questions to Reflect On - What possibilities are you ignoring? - How can you transform crisis into opportunity? A Different Perspective Not all crises lead to growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) ## Related quotes > [I'm really interested in how people face existential crises and either overcome them or don't, and in how the human psyche responds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanton/i-m-really-interested-in-how-people-face-existential-crises-and/) [Doug Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanton/) > [“have to work through some problems, period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-stimpson/have-to-work-through-some-problems-period/) [Michelle Stimpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-stimpson/) > [I don't have problems with nobody, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trick-daddy/i-don-t-have-problems-with-nobody-period/) [Trick Daddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trick-daddy/) > [“One of the liabilities of being a deep thinker, Wyatt mused, was that it left him vulnerable to existential crises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridie-clark/one-of-the-liabilities-of-being-a-deep-thinker-wyatt-mused-was-that/) [Bridie Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridie-clark/) > [“One of the liabilities of being a deep thinker...was that it left him vulnerable to existential crises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridie-clark/one-of-the-liabilities-of-being-a-deep-thinker-was-that-it-left-him/) [Bridie Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridie-clark/) > [Our age is one of transition, in which the normal channels for utilizing the daimonic are denied; and such ages tend to be times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/our-age-is-one-of-transition-in-which-the-normal-channels-for/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Our thesis is that symbols and myths are an expression of man's unique self-consciousness, his capacity to transcend the immediate concrete situation and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/our-thesis-is-that-symbols-and-myths-are-an-expression-of-man-s/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Existential psychotherapy is the movement which, although standing on one side on the scientific analysis owed chiefly to the genius of Freud , also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/existential-psychotherapy-is-the-movement-which-although-standing-on/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Terrorism and the whole drug scene are vivid examples of the fact that what persons abhor most of all in life is the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/terrorism-and-the-whole-drug-scene-are-vivid-examples-of-the-fact/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Artistic symbols and myths speak out of the primordial, preconscious realm of the mind which is powerful and chaotic. Both symbol and myth are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/artistic-symbols-and-myths-speak-out-of-the-primordial-preconscious/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [A historical perspective can also help free us from the ever-present danger -- especially at danger in the social sciences -- of absolutizing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/a-historical-perspective-can-also-help-free-us-from-the-ever-present/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Indeed, compulsive and rigid moralism arises in given persons precisely as the result of a lack of sense of being. Rigid moralism is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/indeed-compulsive-and-rigid-moralism-arises-in-given-persons/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [When we are dealing with human beings, no truth has reality by itself; it is always dependent upon the reality of the immediate relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/when-we-are-dealing-with-human-beings-no-truth-has-reality-by-itself/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Evil, in this system of ethics, is that which tears apart, shuts out the other person, raises barriers, sets people against each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/evil-in-this-system-of-ethics-is-that-which-tears-apart-shuts-out-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One must have at least a readiness to love the other person, broadly speaking, if one is to be able to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-must-have-at-least-a-readiness-to-love-the-other-person-broadly/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More by Rollo May > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound to the inner personal freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/political-freedom-is-to-be-cherished-indeed-but-there-is-no-political/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the effect which comes when we use our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-effect-which-comes-when-we-use-our-powers/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One of the few blessings of living in an age of anxiety is that we are forced to become aware of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-of-the-few-blessings-of-living-in-an-age-of-anxiety-is-that-we/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/intimacy-requires-courage-because-risk-is-inescapable/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Artists do not run away from non-being, but by encountering and wrestling with it, force it to produce being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/artists-do-not-run-away-from-non-being-but-by-encountering-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/technology-is-the-knack-of-so-arranging-the-world-that-we-do-not/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [By the creative act, we are able to reach beyond our own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/by-the-creative-act-we-are-able-to-reach-beyond-our-own-death/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the zest that you get out of using your talents, your understanding, the totality of your being, for great aims...That's the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-zest-that-you-get-out-of-using-your-talents-your/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One must have at least a readiness to love the other person, broadly speaking, if one is to be able to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-must-have-at-least-a-readiness-to-love-the-other-person-broadly/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Man is the "ethical animal" ethical in potentiality even if, unfortunately, not in actuality. His capacity for ethical judgment like freedom, reason and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/man-is-the-ethical-animal-ethical-in-potentiality-even-if/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Evil, in this system of ethics, is that which tears apart, shuts out the other person, raises barriers, sets people against each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/evil-in-this-system-of-ethics-is-that-which-tears-apart-shuts-out-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [We receive love — from our children as well as others — not in proportion to our demands or sacrifices or needs, but roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/we-receive-love-from-our-children-as-well-as-others-not-in-proportion/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-opposite-of-courage-in-our-society-is-not-cowardice-it-is/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Explore all 259 Rollo May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More Crises quotes > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [I go through major crises every few months, but then I have great peaks of belief and creativity. I'm a weird kind of animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-go-through-major-crises-every-few-months-but-then-i-have-great/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [Because when I have been busy at the United Nations during crises, it has meant working day and night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-frederick/because-when-i-have-been-busy-at-the-united-nations-during-crises-it/) Pauline Frederick > [“It’s only going to take another week of this and we’re going to have the mother of all humanitarian crises on our hands. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/it-s-only-going-to-take-another-week-of-this-and-we-re-going-to-have/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [Whenever I get on stage, I feel safe and in control. Life can be so uncertain, but on stage, I always know how a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-o-mara/whenever-i-get-on-stage-i-feel-safe-and-in-control-life-can-be-so/) [Kate O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-o-mara/) > [God doesn't want your crises-mode promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrin-patrick/god-doesn-t-want-your-crises-mode-promises/) [Darrin Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrin-patrick/) > [Real change doesn't come without crisis. Childbirth doesn't come without crisis. I think that's happening with humanity now. Our growth has generated multiple crises...and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/real-change-doesn-t-come-without-crisis-childbirth-doesn-t-come/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [When established identities become outworn or unfinished ones threaten to remain incomplete, special crises compel men to wage holy wars, by the cruelest means,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-established-identities-become-outworn-or-unfinished-ones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [From the beginning, we failed to overcome Europe's division. The Berlin Wall fell, but invisible walls were moved to the East of Europe. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/from-the-beginning-we-failed-to-overcome-europe-s-division-the-berlin/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [In the immediate postwar era, financial crises in advanced countries were rare events, and before 1970 did not happen at all. Since then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-m-taylor/in-the-immediate-postwar-era-financial-crises-in-advanced-countries/) [Alan M. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-m-taylor/) > [In modern political society it is probably a fact that national leadership can heighten foreign crises to the point where war becomes almost inevitable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ekirch/in-modern-political-society-it-is-probably-a-fact-that-national/) Arthur Ekirch > [In the seed and the soil, we find the answers to every one of the crises we face. The crises of violence and war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/in-the-seed-and-the-soil-we-find-the-answers-to-every-one-of-the/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [Over the years, I've been involved in many business crises. I qualify this, since my crises have never involved life and death or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/over-the-years-i-ve-been-involved-in-many-business-crises-i-qualify/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) > [“Generally, crises were Mom's domain. Dad's job was to listen, nod, act curmudgeonly, and offer to pay for things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/generally-crises-were-mom-s-domain-dad-s-job-was-to-listen-nod-act/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [Crisis and pressure help foster change - that's why I'm not so pessimistic towards crises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/crisis-and-pressure-help-foster-change-that-s-why-i-m-not-so/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) Browse all 198 Crises quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problems of a period are the existential crises of what can be but hasn't yet been resolved; and regardless of how seriously we take that word 'resolved,' if there were not some new possibility, there would be no crisis - there would be only despair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rollo May" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existential-crises-of-what-can-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crises" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existential-crises-of-what-can-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/rollo-may-1295_crises_the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existen_3090813.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problems of a period are the existential crises of what can be but hasn't yet been resolved; and…” — Rollo May", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rollo May", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problems of a period are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existential-crises-of-what-can-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-problems-of-a-period-are-the-existential-crises-of-what-can-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```