Solzhenitsyn is surely right that good and evil are harbored in the soul of man. It’s why Christ advises waiting on the separation of the wheat and the tares; it’s ultimately an intrapersonal affair. Yet the person is also much more than the individual, and the ontological gift of being is such that the good is more fundamental. I recommend Péguy’s The Portal of the Mystery of Hope. Hope is not optimism, or wishing for the best outcome. It is the truth of Creation on the other side of death.
I think as a psychological component of living, it is a matter of prudential deliberation. I mistrust hopefulness that is blind optimism. My own natural proclivities are counter. However, if one thinks of hope as a necessary component to fortitude, an elemental resilience that makes action possible in the face of adversity, then I would ascribe to it as helpful.
Solzhenitsyn is surely right that good and evil are harbored in the soul of man. It’s why Christ advises waiting on the separation of the wheat and the tares; it’s ultimately an intrapersonal affair. Yet the person is also much more than the individual, and the ontological gift of being is such that the good is more fundamental. I recommend Péguy’s The Portal of the Mystery of Hope. Hope is not optimism, or wishing for the best outcome. It is the truth of Creation on the other side of death.
This is obviously a different way of looking at "hope." I don't think it's what Emily Dickinson had in mind (but how would I know?)
What do you think about hope in a day-to-day context? Is it helpful or hurtful?
I think as a psychological component of living, it is a matter of prudential deliberation. I mistrust hopefulness that is blind optimism. My own natural proclivities are counter. However, if one thinks of hope as a necessary component to fortitude, an elemental resilience that makes action possible in the face of adversity, then I would ascribe to it as helpful.
Wow. So much to digest here. Good thing the weekend is coming up. Thanks for this!