It’s the hope that saves you

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“Some contemporary people do not think that there is a form of escape or theology:” the ongoing aspiration to the eternal world (as some contemporary people think).

The idea that hope is far from being a kind of foolish or logical passion, should be considered a virtue that has been present since the beginnings of Christianity. It was the Messenger of Jesus Paul who first wrote about hope as a permanent virtue in his letters to Corinth. The theologian in the Middle Ages described it as “good in the future, difficult to reach … by divine help.”

Hope also represents the basic message of Easter: The resurrection of Jesus Christ – the victory of life over death – shows Christians, even during the darkest times, light can appear suddenly, and that new beginnings and even miracles are possible. In Islam and Judaism, it is taught as a virtue as well.

However, in our secular modern society, it is rarely talking about the disturbing person as a virtuous participation. They are likely to be foolish – sarcastic and pessimistic that tends to be considered a sign of intelligence and vitality, while expressing any kind of positive vision of the future as naivety or worse.

But there are reasons for hope, not only because things can turn – at least – ultimately fine. No, the act of hope is good for us both both psychological and physiological: studies have repeatedly linked a greater feeling of hope for a lower risk of cancer, chronic disease and comprehensive deaths.

I use the word “ACT” intentionally here. Hope is often mixed with optimism, but there are some important differences between the two, as Edward Brooks, CEO of Oxford’s personality project, who writes a book on the topic. “Optimism is to expect a positive future,” he says. “Hope is usually focusing work and attention on a good future and this is difficult but it is possible yet.”

In other words, optimism – while it brings the benefits of health and happiness on its own, and tends to be more stimulating than pessimism when using it in the correspondence – is more negative; Some people seem to be born with them and others without them. We hope it is option Focusing on the possibility, no matter how dim, for some good in the future, and decisively includes an individual and collective agency. Hope carries with it the conviction that we can take action that makes our desired future more likely.

Discussions about planting hope can become quickly. But one should only look across the Atlantic Ocean for concrete evidence that the messages of hope can be strongly strong. Once again in 2008, Barack Obama – who had published a book two years ago under the title Bold hope: ideas about restoring the American dream – The White House was voted on the back of a very optimistic logo: “Yes, we can.”

However, although the hope will be a better future as possible in the idea of ​​”progressive”, it is the movement of Donald Trump “makes America great again” that gave the voters a positive vision for the future this time – whatever the vision may be. On the contrary, the Democrats’ focus on the victim’s accounts instead of empowering, and to attack Trump rather than out of an alternative positive vision, paved the way for his return.

The importance of politicians who convey hope is a global phenomenon: a huge study in Gallup found this year that the four basic needs that people mention regarding their leaders were the most important hope – before trust, sympathy and stability. Another study in Gallup found that 69 percent of the employees who strongly agreed to their leaders made them “feel enthusiastic for the future” feel engaged at work, compared to only 1 percent who did not agree.

Of course there is a risk by focusing a lot on positivity, you are badly blind to the dangers of things – “Tahrir’s Day” in Trump as a good example. But we hope that there is no need for satisfaction: we must consider that, as Aristotle did, the average between the vices of assumption and despair.

Hope is, as the American poet Emily Dickenson wrote in a very beautiful way, “The thing with feathers, who sits in the soul.” We must care and protect this sensitive thing. It is hope, after all, which provides you.

jemima.kelly@ft.com