Stabbing Hope in its Fickle Heart

[michelle1963]

Hope.  It's an emotion that I loathe.  I can hear the clamor of "why?" and, "without hope what would be the point of living?"  Yes, yes.  I am well aware that the concept of hope sits upon a pedestal.  I've never understood why anyone considers hope (not to be confused with optimism) desirable.

Let's consider the definition of hope:  A feeling of

Comments

The Lifecycle of Life

[ehowton]

Well said! The definition of hopelessness (hope) cracks me the hell up. I often look at people who use that word with quantifiable suspicion for all the reasons you've outlined here. What a miserable existence. Thanks for the reminder!

I have no room for hope in my life - for I am not given to a lifestyle which requires it. My destiny is what I make it and with those whom I make it with.

Re: The Lifecycle of Life

[michelle1963]

Miserable existence indeed!

[michelle1963]

I hope to live to to a ripe old age and in good health. I desire that, but I'm not banking on it. Things happen. Yet I'm not saying that with my 25th cigarette of the day dangling from my lips while eating a box of Little Debbies. Maintaining reasonable expectations, as you say.

This example made me giggle out loud. :-) Perfect!

I like to use the word optimistic when I feel like there is a reasonable chance, albeit not a foregone conclusion, that things will turn out as I want them to.

What about a situation that is 50/50? Good question! Perhaps that's when I'd say I'm hopeful. I still think there is a chance, but I'm really less certain.

For me anything with worse odds than that, or something that is a total crapshoot, this is when, for me, hope needs to be killed because I'm just hurting myself.

(Cool avatar, btw!)

[michelle1963]

"Fuck it." Yeah, I like that. Let's use that! :-)

[suzanne1945]

As we old hippies used to say, "Be here now". Optimism works great with that philosophy--kind of takes the expectation of hope out of the equation. (Of course, in old hippy tradition, the saying pretty much did away with any planning for what might happen to you in the future, such as saving any money to retire on). The balance is somewhere in between.

[michelle1963]

There is a lot to be said for, "Be here now." Some people never are. But you're right it can be taken to the extreme. What? Me worry?