Good Hope and Bad Hope

I begin this chapter by defining hope; central to this definition is that hope is orientated around sustaining commitment and promoting resilience during hardship by maintaining a focus on a future goal. A key determinant on whether hope is positive or negative, however, is the extent to which that which is hoped for is achievable, and thus whether hoping—and enduring hardship to achieve hoped-for goals—is rational. I then demonstrate that to “hope well” requires not only that the goals desired are rational, but also that the process of hoping mobilises action; hope is an empowering force, therefore, when it inspires agency, but I demonstrate that it can be disempowering if it encourages passivity. This is apparent in situations where those who hope are—or at least believe they are—dependent on another to realise their goals. Finally, I engage with Victoria McGeer’s analysis of “wilful hopers” and “wishful hopers” which outlines the pathology that can arise in those who fail to hope well. Both groups, will ultimately find that their hopes are not realised, and thus fall into despair. Despair leads to either despondency or anger; while anger can lead people to make destructive choices, the anger that stems from despair need not always be destructive and can inspire the setting of a new set of more rational goals and serve as the catalyst for related action.