For almost 200 years, some people in the west have tried to replace hope with optimism, not for persons but for the whole human race. The thing about optimism is that it comes up against two inevitable realities. And that’s where hope comes in.
I think the distinction between hope and optimism is one of the losses that is the most egregious these days, since so many people tend to think that hope is nothing more than looking pleasant in the face of difficulty. The difference between them is actually one of the things I think Voltaire gets right in "Candide." I'm not so sure he reaches the right conclusion in the end, but he portrays the fundamental absurdity of eternal optimism quite well, and it's dreadfully ironic that the activists of our day act quite a bit like the foolish Candide does, despite also being characterized by anger and rage. That's the thing about optimism, I think...you go one of two ways with it: either you become passive and inert when faced with suffering, unable to do anything because you're so oblivious...or you become violent and cruel in order to impose your optimism on the world. Hope is different...it may seem passive, in that you are enduring your suffering, but it is active all the same, because hope inspires. Optimism doesn't really inspire...it's more like a drug than it is a virtue.
Thank you so much for these Monday morning language lessons! Each word has been unique and i look forward to what the new week brings! They are the best and I love them! Best to you and yours!
The ultimate hope is simple. It is to enter The Kingdom.
Our ultimate hope is so simple. It is to enter The Kingdom.
I think the distinction between hope and optimism is one of the losses that is the most egregious these days, since so many people tend to think that hope is nothing more than looking pleasant in the face of difficulty. The difference between them is actually one of the things I think Voltaire gets right in "Candide." I'm not so sure he reaches the right conclusion in the end, but he portrays the fundamental absurdity of eternal optimism quite well, and it's dreadfully ironic that the activists of our day act quite a bit like the foolish Candide does, despite also being characterized by anger and rage. That's the thing about optimism, I think...you go one of two ways with it: either you become passive and inert when faced with suffering, unable to do anything because you're so oblivious...or you become violent and cruel in order to impose your optimism on the world. Hope is different...it may seem passive, in that you are enduring your suffering, but it is active all the same, because hope inspires. Optimism doesn't really inspire...it's more like a drug than it is a virtue.
Thank you so much for these Monday morning language lessons! Each word has been unique and i look forward to what the new week brings! They are the best and I love them! Best to you and yours!