The Fallacy in Hope

By Preetu Misra

It is generally believed that hope is a good thing. It drives people on, it's the ray of light when things are dark and so on and so forth. I do not pretend to agree with the thought as it is too convenient and also tends to build an aura of lethargy that is very difficult to overcome. Hope is not a good thing if you are absolutely sure that you have exhausted all your means for achieving whatever it is that you want to achieve. Perhaps the idea has its uses when one has reached rock bottom and there is absolutely nothing left to lose. This is the situation when things can only get better. Even then, you see, it is more a matter of inevitability, than of hope.

Often after great achievements, people will tell you stories of difficulties overcome with grit on the strength of hope. I agree as far as grit is concerned but I would like to know whether these people were sitting idle in the face of difficulties or not. There must have been enormous efforts that actually helped ride past the crisis to reach the goal. If you argue that sometimes, even efforts are not enough and in the face of continuous failure you need something else, then it is my opinion that the only thing you need is time. A great amount of hope without the support of practical means will simply lead to the dilution of effort that is necessary. Put in very straightforward terms, 'hope' is the name that people unwittingly give to their immense believe in 'luck', and the idea that theirs might turn.

Ironically, there is some truth in the idiom 'hoping against hope'. Defined as 'To hope with little reason or justification' it actually explains my basic tenet in this discussion. Even hope is actually without logic. When you know that you have taken your exam badly, you hope that you are going to pass, that you might even do well. What you are actually wishing for is some error in evaluation without thinking that it might adversely affect the result of a deserving candidate. When you know that a patient is suffering from a condition that is fatal, you hope that there might be a miracle. True, medical miracles happen, but that is not because you have hoped for it. It is because medical professionals are extremely competent and can at times work out marvels in curative treatment. So instead of hoping, you should make sure that you get in touch with the right people at the right time.

I have a strong feeling that hope is something that does not let people come to terms with real facts of life. It is an impediment in the road to moving on. So and so will understand, such and such will regret, he or she will appreciate. Well, in all probabilities they will not. Human beings do not change so easily. So it is much better to accept that there is no hope where there is no reason and let things be. If you want people to understand, you have to prove your point. That necessitates taking an effort, not just basking in the futility of hope.

Preetu is a contributed writer for Batchmates.com the largest Alumni portal in India. With her research work and articles she has added an additional edge to the entertainment e-magazine BM Times. Her articles reach to millions of readers every day which are varied in subjects.

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