Wake up. Get dressed. Go to school. Attend Swim Practice. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. 

For most of us, life has its rhythms and routines but feels far more alive than the sequence referenced above. But what separates a monotonous existence from a meaningful one? The answer is hope, and my life wouldn’t be the same without it. 

British philosopher Thomas Carlyle once claimed, “he who has hope has everything.” Hope, by definition, refers to “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment” (“Hope”). We might think of hope as something like a wish, but hope is actually quite different. I wish for a new pair of goggles for swim meets, but I hope to set a personal record in the 100-yard freestyle. I wish that our next science unit will be on continental movement, but I hope to become a research scientist. To wish is a passive emotion, while to hope is to have optimism while working toward a goal. 

Without hope, I imagine my life would be much less structured. In fact, there is scientific evidence for this. In 1999, psychologist Charles Snyder established what is now known as “hope theory.” This theory argues that we can boil a hopeful mindset down to three components: objectives, pathways, and agency (“Snyder’s Hope Theory”). People with clear ambitions, who can imagine other ways of meeting their goals, and who believe they can achieve their goals are the “hopeful” ones. 

Hope has other benefits, too. It keeps us positive in the face of overwhelming or disappointing situations. When we experience the feeling of hope, our brain produces neurochemicals that act as a safer type of morphine, muting any pain or anxiety we might feel (“The Science”). Some medical studies have even proven that hope can help improve treatment outcomes. In 2008, a study of patients with multiple sclerosis revealed that hope led to visible improvements in health conditions because patients with hope were more active in seeking treatment (Preston). In 2011, a different study found that Crohn’s patients with hope managed the ups and downs of the illness better (Preston). Hope is not necessarily a purely individual emotion. In swimming, teammates cheer for and push one another to achieve personal records because of a collective goal: winning the meet. In this case, hope is an individual feeling, but it is also a group emotion. 

It's important to acknowledge that having hope can lead to disappointment and frustration during the inevitable moments when people fail to meet their goals. But the fact of the matter is that hope has more positives than negatives. Among teens, for example, studies have shown that hope can improve academic performance and psychological well-being. That said, hope can be hard to develop and maintain. It involves clarifying a goal and forming plans to achieve it, which can be difficult for everyone, but a hopeful attitude is also the difference between a life worth living and daily drudgery.

References:

“Hope.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope,

Accessed 28 Sept. 2023. 

Preston, Camille. “The Psychology of Hope,” Psychology Today. 24 Oct. 2021,

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-health-in-the-workplace/202110/the-psychology-of-hope. Accessed 28 Sept. 2023. 

“Snyder’s Hope Theory.” MindTools,

mindtools.com/aov3izj/snyders-hope-theory, Accessed 28 Sept.

2023. 

“The Science of Hope.” Terry Small: The Brain Guy,

terrysmall.com/blog/brain-bulletin-47-the-science-of-hope#:~:text=Your%20brain%20pumps%20chemicals%20when,mimic%20the%20effects%20of%20morphine, Accessed 28 Sept. 2023.