A short conversation about reasons for hope

 

1: An insult

“You hopeless f***! Just leave me alone!”

 

“Don’t be so hopeless!”

 

“You’re hopeless, aren’t you?”

 

It’s a term of abuse.

Being hopeless.

 

Of course it is.

It suggests you’ve given up. That you’re good for nothing.

 

 

2: Hopelessness

To be ‘hopeless’ suggests a flounderer – someone with so little optimism that they’ve become incompetent. Someone who’s lost all energy and drive. Someone whose intelligence is diminished by a failure of will. Someone who’s forgotten how to try, who’s become inept. Someone you don’t really want around.

 

Who would disagree? It’s neither desirable nor useful to be a person without hope.

 

 

 

3: Serving others

Except that, for some people, it can be quite useful for you to be hopeless.

Hopelessness incapacitates you.

It gives them an edge.

It means their hope’s winning.

They are going to get what they were hoping for.

You, on the other hand?

Probably not.

 

 

4: Defiance 

Which means there’s a crucial aspect to hope which we need to take into account.

Because, if it suits your adversaries or your oppressors (or even those who merely casually benefit from your exploitation or neglect) for you to have given up hope – then hope becomes an act of defiance.

 

That, in itself, makes hope worthwhile.

 

 

 

 

5: The tactic of hope

And it’s even more important than that. Because, while hopelessness disempowers you, hope does the reverse. Hope says, “Be alert. Be ready to take your chance.” Hope prepares you for success.

So it’s a no-brainer.

Be hopeful.

It’s more than just an attitude.

It’s more than just an act of defiance.

It’s a tactic.

 

 

6: A catalytic converter

Hope helps to create a world where the things you hope for become possible. Hope means that if even a fraction of an opportunity comes up, you’ll be prepared to grab it with both hands.

It’s a catalyst for change. It converts the improbable to the possible.

 

 

7: Desirable

Hope is an attractor, too.

To offer hope is to offer something profoundly desirable.

Don’t you want to be desirable?

 

So, even if, for the life of you, you can’t see a factual basis for hope, there’s a tactical basis – and it’s a tactic which makes success more probable.

 

 

 

8: Despair

An objector might ask, “Why, then, have so many given up hope?”

Well, it’s understandable, don’t you think?

Just look at the inertia of our governments. Bear witness to the complacency and self-serving cynicism of those in positions of power.

It’s enough to make anyone feel hopeless.

 

 

 

9: Hoarding

And what could be more depressing than witnessing the relentless funnelling of power and wealth towards a tiny elite¹?

It’s happening year on year.

We all know the numbers.

A wealth-hoarding, asset-stripping, extractive 0.1%, whose activities are jeopardising our future. Everyone’s future. Even, perhaps, the future of our world.

 

 

10: All is not lost

So it’s easy to understand why even those who are willing to adopt the tactic of hope still struggle with an inner hopelessness.

Yet all is not lost.

Even in the world of realpolitik, of society, of remorseless megatrends in human behaviour, there are reasons for hope.

 

 

11: Reasons for hope 1: We have the numbers

Here’s a reason for hope.

There’s a centralising tendency to power – as those with most power use their power to harvest more power… and yet more.

But this means the powerful grow fewer (even if more powerful). They are increasingly outnumbered.

In fact, in today’s world of power accumulation and hoarded wealth, the wealthy and the powerful are vastly outnumbered.

 

Which is why they are afraid.

 

 

12: Bribery and corruption

Which is why they channel their cash into ‘buying out’ democracy and sequestering our media.

Because, if enough of us began to feel strongly enough that things could change, that we could have a better, fairer future, then things would change. We would have a better, fairer future.

 

There simply aren’t enough of the wealth hoarders and power accumulators to stop us.

 

 

13: Reasons for hope 2: We have the capability

So humanity is doomed?

Well, why should we be?

Why should we accept such a grim conclusion?

Surely it’s absurd to imagine that the species which created space travel, electric light, quantum theory, sociology or smartphones is helpless?

Surely we’re too ingenious, too creative, too filled with imagination and energy for that?

 

 

 

14: 8,000,000,000

There are almost 8 billion² of us.

That’s 8,000,000,000 humans scattered across the surface of the Earth.

If we all pulled together what couldn’t we achieve?

Our technology is stupendous, our genius ingenious.

Why predict failure?

If anyone can find a way out of this mess, shouldn’t it be us?

 

 

 

15: Reasons for hope 3: Common sense

What an asset! Common sense….

Practically and pragmatically, and in terms of sheer common sense, it’s just so sensible to look after one another, to work together, to stop wars, to tackle the key social injustices of our time, to combat climate change….

Why wouldn’t we do that?

We all want a future, don’t we?

 

 

16: The sane response

It’s common sense to change the way we do things. It’s the sane response. Humans make societies. Why shouldn’t we change them?

 

There’s nothing sacrosanct about traditions, constitutions, economic structures, governments or laws.

There’s nothing we can’t change if we wish to…

 

If it makes sense.

 

If it’s so we can survive.

 

 

17: Reasons for hope 4: Morality

A strong argument: We should change our society to protect and preserve the biological world and to nurture and care for people all across the Earth.

Why?

Because, morally, it’s the right thing to do.

 

It’s always good to know, when you’re fighting waste, greed, environmental degradation, racism, power-hunger, misogyny or intolerance, that you’re on the right side.

That you’re on the side of morality.

That you’re on the side of integrity.

That you’re on the side of compassion.

 

After all, it’s the only side worth being on.

 

 

18: The pay off

So there are still reasons for hope.

And hope’s attractive.

And it’s an act of defiance.

And it’s a worthwhile tactic.

 

So hope.

 

Be hopeful.

 

It’s our best option.

 

Perhaps it’s our only option.

 

And it might just pay off.

 

 

www.ethicalintelligence.org  “The ethics of common sense”

Twitter & Facebook: @EthicalRenewal

 

References/Notes

1. See Inequality.org: https://inequality.org/facts/wealth-inequality/
2. US ‘billion’: one thousand million. UK billion is one million million.

 

 

© Luke Andreski 2020. All rights reserved.

 

OUT NOW

 

Short Conversations About Everything That Matters

Volume 1: During The Plague

 

Want answers to the big questions?

Answers that aren’t absolute sh*t?

Then read this.

 

Are all politicians liars?

Is democracy dead?

How do we fix our broken media?

What is populism and how can we resist it?

Is a deadly virus killing our society?

Are governments necessarily corrupt?

What can we do as individuals about climate change?

What should governments do?

Is eating meat wrong?

How can we find meaning in our lives?

Are we truly equal?

Are we truly free?

Is there room for hope?

 

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