Reflections from deep within
How does a Facebook post turn into a Medium post?
A friend posted on Facebook asking everyone how we would define “Hope”.
There were many deep and thoughtful answers. I wanted to chime in too. But I did not. After two scores and two responses to that question, I decided I needed to write a long form response to that question. If not for anyone, I needed it for my own clarity and learning. So, here we are.
The dictionary defines Hope, in noun form, as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, and in verb form as want something to happen or be the case.
To begin with, I asked myself this question.
Is hope an emotion? Or is hope a feeling?
(I could have added “Or is hope a virtue?” too to this list. But I would like to keep the strong religious component associated with hope away from this post. Because there are a few religions, for example, Christianity, is built on hope and models of “Christian Hope” are implicitly taught in religious teachings. So again, I am not delving into that hope.)
Back to the question: Is hope an emotion or a feeling?
According to the emotional wheel, there are eight primary emotions. Each one of these primary emotions can lead to secondary emotions. The eight primary emotions are:
Sadness, Disgust, Anger, Anticipation, Joy, Fear, Surprise, and Trust.
Emotions are like real-time raw data. They are sparked by sensations in our body and mind, at a specific moment. Feelings, on the other hand, are influenced by emotions, but processed through our mental thoughts and then stored. Feelings are almost always experienced consciously while emotions can be expreienced subconsciously too. Feelings tend to be more biased because unlike emotions, they are not reactions to the present reality, aka, raw data, but are stories we have possibly created and conclusions we have drawn in our heads, based on events of the past or fears of the future, and not necessarily the truth of the situation.
Why am I stuck on this? Why am I ambling around the differences between emotions and feelings? What has it got to do with hope? I don’t know. Maybe, I will find an answer to that question by the end of this post.
Let’s park that thought right here for the time being and explore hope more.
Is there a learned component associated with hope? And is there a cognitive component associated with hope? I believe hope is primarily a learned concept. Hope arises from and includes learned behaviors from the environment around us and from thought processes that are acquired through socialization. Hence hope is a culturally determined concept and is implicitly acquired by children from their early learning years.
As far any cognitive component to hope goes, do people actually “think” about hope or about using any strategies to stay “hopeful?”. Do we “think” about whether or not it would be helpful or wise for us in any given situation to have “hope”? We are either hopeful or we are not. Aren’t we? And, if we are hopeful, it (the condition of hope) seems to “automatically kick in” based on a person’s earlier learnings. Right?
So, can we agree that hope is primarily a learned concept?
The thing with hope is that it is compelling. What makes it compelling is its universality. Everyone needs it, and when you look around you know almost everyone exhibits at least some measure of hope. Especially, if they have made it as far as this day and this moment.
What is hope?
Hope is a force. It is the force in our everyday life that gives us permission to fail, get up, reflect, learn, and retry. It is the force with no expiration date that makes us do this every day, again and again. Every time you inhale, each intake of breath comes with hope. Each new day, hope is the force that provides us fresh perspectives and shows us untapped possibilities.
Hope is found in the eyes of our children. It is in the first step they take when they are learning to walk. It is in their innocence when they look at us adults and believe that they too have a future ahead of them in the world around them.
Hope is found all through human history. Talk to the elders in your family and in your circle of friends. Hope is in our ancestry and our elders. Hope was found on the shoulders of those who blazed the trails before us and paved the course of the modern world we live in today. It is and will be that resilience of hope that will embolden our own.
Hope is the fuel to our every day hustle.
Hope is the reason I go back to work every morning (OK. I will admit. Sometimes, begrudgingly). Hope is the reason I weather fiscal seasons in my business. Hope is the reason I board my dogs at the kennel for multiple days and nights when I have to travel, and do not have a choice. Hope is the reason I travel. Hope is the reason I write.
Hope fuels our discipline, commitment, curiosity, and resolve.
Hope is the source of our greatest strengths. And sometimes the source of our greatest weaknesses too. For where the hope ends, delusion begins. Somewhere between optimism and pessimism lies realism. And hope is knowing that line of realism.
Happiness, Hope, and Optimism.
These are three positive conditions. Three great motivators for our life. How do they differ?
Happiness is an emotion. But hope and optimism are not (at least not fundamental/primary emotions).
Hope and optimism differ in that hope is situation specific (specific conditions) and hope is also contingent upon one’s own abilities (internal conditions). Optimism on the other hand, is a global condition that affirms positive things will occur independent of one’s own ability (external conditions).
Hope, as I pointed out earlier is primarily a learned condition. Optimism, in comparison, is primarily a cognitive condition. Optimism, unlike hope, is mostly based on logical and rational facts that are processed cognitively (not talking about blind optimism, here).
So what we have are three very different, but complementary conditions.
Happiness, an emotion, is biological in nature. It seems to be the most basic and fundamental condition of the three.
Hope, is a learned condition. Hope can lead to happiness.
Optimism, a cognitive condition, spawns hope.
And, in turn, happiness seems to reinforce optimism. Perfect cycle.
So, where was I?
Is hope an emotion?
The answer is yes and no. Hope is not a primary emotion but may be termed as a secondary emotion. The primary emotions of Trust, Joy, and Anticipation can lead to hope, as their secondary emotion. But hope is also a processed conscious experience influenced by a set of emotions. Then, does it make hope a feeling?
You may wonder if I found the answer to the earlier question I asked myself as to why I was ambling around the differences between emotions and feelings.
I hope I did. I hope you did too. 😀
After all, Hope is essential.
Hope may flicker or falter, but we should not let it quit us.
We all need hope.
