Q is for Quintessence

Today's word is Quintessence. Literally, it means the fifth essence. The four elements of the classical age were fire, water, earth and air. However, the ancients believed that celestial bodies were made of something even purer. A fifth element, or essence.

This fifth essence was considered the highest, most ideal substance. Over time, the word quintessesnce has come to signify the essential example of something. This is similar to the Platonic notion of ideal forms, the purest idea of things that exist in the mind.

Today we think of the quintessential as a perfect example of something. Lou Gehrig as the quintessential ball player. The Empire State building as the quintessential skyscraper. Alas, most of the world remains rooted in the less than ideal. But we will always have those quintessential forms to strive for.