What is "hope"?

Hope. Wait. What is that?

Narration: When I travel to India, I frequently see many homeless children attempting to earn a living. Sad, right? Well, my grandmother used to be one of those children. At a young age, about five or six, my grandmother’s family faced a terrible financial situation. Her family was unable to provide for a house, her education, and new clothes. Thus, she was forced to make flower garlands and sell them to pedestrians on the sidewalk. Through her hard work and the gifts of many strangers, her family earned enough money to move into a house. She then had the hope to continue with her life.

Description:  A warm feeling arose in the center of her body. The feeling created the slight lifting of her cheekbones and required the tightening of her cheek muscles.  Her breathing slowed down as this new relaxed sensation took over her body. The smell of relief was omnipresent. As she gingerly closed her eyes and imagined the next day to be filled with success, her shoulders lowered and her muscles became limp, as if she were a marshmallow. She tasted the salty lines which streamed down her face. These used to be streams of pain and unhappiness. Now, the circumstances had changed with a glimmer of brightness.

 Example:  The Dalai Lama once stated, “I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest”. His statement epitomizes the minds of the current Hurricane Sandy victims. These victims have faced the darkest times in this natural disaster, as it has ripped away their daily lives. But with the strength they find amongst their friends, family, and community, they are able to see the greater possibilities in the future. The victims focus on the bright side and the changes in their future. And with this hope, they will be able to achieve great feats.

Comparison/Contrast: There is no fine line between day and night, light and dark, and white and black. They are stark opposites. Similarly there is no fine line between hope and hopelessness. Hope represents the presence of shimmer of optimism, which has the potential to motivate one to continue with life. On the other hand, hopelessness portrays the pit of despair, in which one’s world is dim with pessimism, making it difficult to proceed with life. Therefore, it is impossible to draw any similarities as these two concepts are mutually exclusive.

Process Analysis: Instilling hope in oneself is a long and enduring process. It does not have distinct steps. Rather, it occurs in continuous stages. In the first stage one must experience an unhappy situation. Whether the circumstance is a daily stressor or life-changing event, one needs to experience an event that could potentially be catastrophic (this is very easy if one is a drama king or queen). This phase will eventually (at least we hope) lead into a phase of euphoria. One will be more optimistic in their future. And when a person reaches that brighter outlook, they have attained hope.

Division of analysis: Hope is a complex emotion. It has the potential to lift you towards to sky, as if you are an angel floating in the sky. But if the hope does not come in time, you can be sent into a pit of misery and despair. In order to attain the angel floating in the puffy-clouded-sky sensation, one must have a somewhat optimistic attitude immediately after suffering from a disappointing event. When the optimism is realized, the person will be able to face anything.

Classification: Instilling hope in oneself is a long and enduring process. It does not have distinct steps. Rather, it occurs in continuous stages. In the first stage one must experience an unhappy situation. Whether the circumstance is a daily stressor or life-changing event, one needs to experience an event that could potentially be catastrophic (this condition is very easy to fulfill if one is a drama king or queen). This phase will eventually (at least we hope) lead into a phase of euphoria. One will be more optimistic in their future. And when a person reaches that brighter outlook, they have attained hope.

Cause and Effect: Hope is caused by the optimistic attitudes of those who have faced the terrible circumstances.  Their experiences instill greater expectations for the future. The future, they believe, can only get better. Whether they believe that poverty will change to riches or sickness will change to good health, victims will always foresee a brighter future. This brighter and optimistic side ensures the numerous possibilities for a happier existence. Thus, victims are given the ability to assimilate into their current conditions because they can only improve. Or at least, they think that.

Definition: Hope is not an overly optimistic attitude, which is irrational and unnecessary. Hope is also not the panacea for all pain and should not blind persons of their problems.  Instead, hope provides an optimistic yet, rational view of the future. It enables the person to maintain a positive outlook and take the required steps towards a more happy state, while remembering that the world is not a blissful universe. It requires a balanced state of mind and emotions. And once that balance has been achieved, the idea of hope has the potential to change lives.

Argumentative/Persuasive: Keep an optimistic outlook at all times. Sure, it is common sense. It may even sound banal. But, we often forget to follow this advice. Despite being taught to value an optimistic attitude from age 5, society has now become filled with pessimism as we face the daily toil of life. We even view being rational as the equivalent to optimism. Pessimistic attitudes are even becoming popular through social media and literature, including Barbara Ehrenriech’s novel, “Bright-sided”. It is now up to us to change this pessimistic trend and display that hope and optimism are not outdated. They have just been forgotten.