Hope Over Despair

I haven’t posted in a while. It’s been tough finding perspective while our democracy and norms are under unprecedented assault.

However, I listened to a Krista Tippett’s On Being podcast episode and it got me thinking about hope vs despair. Most people I know are consumed by how bad things are in our country. Krista Tippett talks about how connected hope and despair are. She argues that it’s up to us to build our “hope” muscle. She’s careful to distinguish between hope and optimism. They are not the same. For her, hope is an orientation — how we think and operate our life.

Hope orientation

I love this idea of changing one’s orientation. I’ve started reflecting on what’s giving me hope.

While MAGA-style populists are rising around the world, I’m heartened that voters in Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, France, and Romania watched what is happening in our country, and chose the more democratic, less Trumpy option. South Koreans took down their President, who tried to impose martial law. We’ll see how Poland’s recent close election of its right-wing President affects its and Europe’s political system. While populists continue to find support over post-covid economic malaise and immigration concerns, it’s reassuring to see that Trumpism is not succeeding everywhere.

Like many, I despair over the immeasurable and possibly irreparable harms to our way of life from the massive and mean-spirited firings of so many federal government employees and the irrational gutting of federal programs. But I am grateful for the underground system on Signal to help these folks find work and save important government data sets and website content.  

I am proud of the grassroots backlash that has led to widespread protests of Trump and Musk. It is regular Americans who have galvanized Democratic leaders (and law firms and universities) to start forcefully fighting back. 

I am hopeful our judiciary will continue to check the brazen undermining of our rights and our democracy. 

Seek Joy

Krista Tippett encourages us to look for joy to sustain our hope mindset.  

As always, I look to history to find inspiration. Henry Louis Gate’s has produced several good PBS series on black history. They provide excellent examples of the resilience of the black community, who never stopped seeking joy through dancing, singing and shared meals even as they were under constant threat and often the victims of stereotyping and violence. 

There are stories of Jews in Hitler’s concentration camps that would sing and compose music even as they were starved and suffered inhumane, slave-like treatment. 

In the present moment, I kvell when I hear about the concerts and fun experiences my kids (and my friends’ kids) are having as twenty-somethings early in their careers. They are not happy about our political and cultural predicament, or diminished job prospects and the high cost of living. But they are not letting it stop them from celebrating life. There are recent and upcoming weddings and new babies that show me that the younger generation I know continues to lead with joy.

My friends and I intentionally plan fun and delicious get-togethers or go out in nature for walks and hikes. They are my essential community and keep me engaged and uplifted.

No Substitute for Community

I recently spoke to someone living in Kyiv. I asked her how she was coping. While she is constantly scared, she said she and most others she knows find strength and contentment from their weekly gatherings to sew garments and prepare items for the Ukrainian army.

She and other experts I’ve read are reinforcing that building community is the antidote to despair, not to mention an important source of hope and comfort.

Our challenge is maintaining hope even as we experience the inevitable setbacks from continued Trump administration boundary pushing, judicial rulings that we disagree with, and continued Congressional capitulation.  

If you’re consumed by despair but are interested in adopting a hope orientation, start by thinking about what you’re hopeful or grateful for, and seek out others to build your community. Join me in flexing the “hope” muscle.

Please also look for a No King’s Day protest to join on Saturday, June 14. Remember, hope evaporates if we’re complicit in the destruction of our system as we’ve known it, so it’s vital to resist.

I would love to hear if and how you’re dealing with your hope over despair mindset.  

Recommended:

Krista Tippett On Being Podcast — Hope Portal, Episode 1

What we can learn from the senator who nearly died for democracy