Hope

"Isn’t it telling that in modern usage the realist has become synonymous with the cynic–for someone with a pessimistic outlook? In truth, it’s the cynic who’s out of touch." (from "Humankind: A Hopeful History" by Rutger Bregman, Erica Moore, Elizabeth Manton)
John Lysaker • Our days are both rough and slippery. Hope brings traction | Psyche Ideas
Awash in a bleak mediascape, I had simply assumed that optimism had been long exiled to the realm of corny naivete, gone the way of “Live, Laugh, Loving” and #Girlbossing. So it came as a shock when my TikTok feed started filling up with posts about the “Indomitable Human Spirit.”
Dirt • Dirt: The indomitable human spirit
What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever
Gabrielle Zevin • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel
On the other hand, I am a believer in radical hope, by which I mean recognising that the chances of success may be slim but still being driven to act by the values and vision you are rooted in. Time and again, humankind has risen up collectively, often against the odds, to tackle shared problems and overcome crises.
The challenge we face as a
... See moreHope is vitalising. When it pulses, we aspire toward better futures and conspire with what we have and have been. In its absence, we often grow listless, even court despair. I thus want to defend hope, underscore what we gain... See more