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Do you believe in hope without despair?

Zrenn

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Jan 3, 2009
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My friend got a tattoo that says "hope without despair" and I guess I'm a little pessimistic (or a real moron) but I don't believe it. What say you? Explain pretty please.

On a side note: the tattoo looks mighty awesome. :wubbie:
 

JocktheMotie

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Depends what you're hoping for I'd think. There's people that hope for world peace and don't even have to wipe their own ass. Is that real hope? Not sure.
 

kyuuei

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I think despair is a nasty side effect of hope. There's no bravery without fear.
 
S

Sniffles

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Hope is the antidote to despair. How the fuck can you have hope with despair?
 

Didums

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Peguy is right:

Hope - the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
Despair - to lose, give up, or be without hope

Hope is, by definition, without despair.

Illogical optimism might lead to despair, because one may be let down from their hope and become helpless, but these are clearly different states, hope and despair cannot coexist at the same point in time.

Edit: On second thought, maybe what is meant here is "hope without suffering". They are different terms, but substituting despair with suffering seems to make more sense.
 

Anja

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I think despair is a nasty side effect of hope. There's no bravery without fear.

Hurray for kyuuei. Not so odd we'd agree.

In truth I don't believe in hope at all. I find it to be a useless stance. Puts me in mind of CSNY and their "helplessly hoping." That's the kind of feeling I have when I rely on hope to pull me through tough times. Hanging by a thread wishing something would come along and save me. No thanks.

I much prefer preparedness, inner strength and faith to guide my actions. Preparedness to handle what my fate will bring me and faith that I will be able to walk through it.

The Spanish speaking peoples have a word I like quite a bit. I imagine that it comes from the time when the Moorish culture was dominant in Spain. The word is ojala'. I believe it roughly translates to "I hope." One day I was pondering the word and thought perhaps a more accurate translation could be "If Allah is willing." Anyone know?

For me that attitude alligns me with those things which I have no power over. Paradoxically, if feels like a warrior stance to me.

Interestingly, since I have readjusted my attitude regarding a passive, hopeful stance, I feel much more confident.
 

Anja

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I don't think of it as combined with action, Peguy.

Never heard "Hope without works is dead." ;)
 

Anja

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I'm a little tired tonight. Just came back from a friend's birthday party. I'll plan on saying more tomorrow.

In the meantime, your question sent me to the dictionary. I see that at one time the idea of trust was involved in the definition of hope but that is now considered archaic.

The word faith has that additional aspect. A belief in what we can't prove. The kind of faith that I hope everyone has each day when we awake, religious and nonreligious alike.

The faith that I have learned enough about myself, wants, needs and abilities to have a day which will fulfill me.

Does that help?

I'll say more tomorrow unless I get an inspiration. Ojala'. :)
 

lowtech redneck

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faith that I will be able to walk through it.

uh, faith is nothing more than hope with a larger degree of certainty-you can't have faith without hope. Anyway, hope is not limited to wishing someone else will come along and save you; as Didums said, that would be self-destructive, unwarranted optimism, which is but one (inferior) incarnation of hope.
 

disregard

mrs
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Overcoming despair, seeing that you can make it through, and acquiring the skill set that makes it all possible is what gives you future hope that is grounded in reality, so I don't know why you would want to experience hope without ever tasting despair.

Edit: On second thought, isn't the very essence of hope that it is not grounded in reality?
 

01011010

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I don't think of it as combined with action, Peguy.

Never heard "Hope without works is dead." ;)

Hope can be the catalyst for a variety of actions. In some cases, it's the fuel and drive left for someone to continue on. Hope is quite powerful
 

Anja

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I appreciate the posts since I last was here. While essentially it's a matter of semantics we're talking about when we talk about the difference between faith and hope, I think it's important to recognize that gaining true confidence is a process. And others here have commented on that.

Without the process of trial and error confidence is an empty and unrealistic stance.

From my viewpoint hope is a wish. Faith is a commitment.

Perhaps we start with hope. Maybe someday I'll be able to walk like mom and dad do. Like that. Increased successes as we pursue our hope may be the way that we develop faith in ourselves or something greater than ourselves. Maybe hope is the first step of the process.

As far as despair goes I can imagine few individuals who have normal coping skills have never experienced the feeling. It goes with the package of life, of trial and error. I don't think a rejection of despair is realistic. I imagine despair is the catalyst of hope.
 

Virtual ghost

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Jun 6, 2008
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Call me cynical, but I think that both of them are products of how brains of one particular species on Earth function.

Personally I think this is not cynical
 
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