Let’s Make Hope
Even if you do not like the word ‘hope,’ bear with me.
Some people do not like the word “hope.” It is often an empty word. It is used in greeting cards. But hope, just as often, has deeper meanings.
I am not attached to the word “hope,” but it is a common word for certain concepts that are important. Here, in discussing these concepts, I use the word “hope.” I am prescriptively suggesting a better version of what hope can be, not describing worse options that might be out there such as shallower ways of being hopeful or less meaningful ways of using the word.
I hope you will bear with me and consider these ideas. If you have a word you like more, that is fine — and you should drop it in the comments!
Present and Future
Judging the Present: Good or Bad?
We all perceive the same world from different perspectives. We are given different sets of information, and we seek and find revisions to that information. Whether a situation is livable or intolerable, and whether a change is a major or minor improvement or perhaps not actually an improvement at all but instead a worsening, is a judgment that depends on someone’s viewpoint. A person’s viewpoint includes their experiences, values, opinions, and knowledge.
