“What gives you hope?”

debs/ July 13, 2020

I always cringe at the practically inevitable “What gives you hope?” at the end of an interview, and then double-cringe at the, “Well, I’m an optimist at heart~” that so often follows.

Here are two tidbits I’ve come across recently offer some anti-cringeworthy, if you will, alternative responses which I will be savoring.


Tidbit #1

Optimism is an alienated form of faith, pessimism an alienated form of despair. By projecting the idea that nothing can be done, the optimists defend themselves against [any inner demand to do anything] by persuading themselves that everything is moving in the right direction anyway, so nothing needs to be done … the fate of humanity is as little concern to [optimists] as it is to the [pessimists]. … To have faith means to dare, to think the unthinkable … This hope is not passive, and it is not patient; on the contrary, it is impatient and active, looking for every possibility of action within the realm of real possibilities” — The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, Erich Fromm, 485

Where the data doesn’t warrant being convinced of a desired outcome, optimism relates to the desired outcome by observation, whereas faith actively engages, participates in the desired outcome because of the relationship we have with the stakeholders; “a blend of knowledge and participation” (Fromm, 483).

Faith, as in Fromm’s specific example (Fromm, 483), applies to a parent whose intense wish for their sick child to live propels them to participate in any way they can to contribute to this outcome.

Similarly, faith is required for our desire for a sick society–“the pathology of normalcy [that engenders] destructiveness in … the poor, the black, the young, the unemployed” (Fromm, 397)–to be well. This faith “manifests itself in many forms … There is hope in the rising protest again pollution and war; in the growing concern for quality of life, … in the widespread search for spiritual values …” (Fromm, 397).


Tidbit #2

I feel purpose rather than hope.” – Dr. Susan Krumieck

I don’t feel hope reserve hope for the things I don’t have control over, I feel purpose. I am pretty sure there’s still a future out there that I want to gift to … people that I know will be there. … I want to gift to them one of the possible hundreds and thousands of futures that is a gift, a good thing. That future depends on [a disruption]. I can sit back and hope that happens, or I could make I am thinking about that and having the purpose of creating a disruption that takes us that direction.” (44:30)


Aging is giving me the opportunity to see alienation blossom into engagement, to witness glimpses of pessimism, optimism, and hope, draw closer to despair, faith, and purpose.

Also the “What gives you hope?” that I will inevitably hear again may have the possibility of triggering some less judgmental thoughts, thereby preventing the kinds of wrinkles one gets from cringing. Hey, I might even have wrinkles from joy someday.

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