‘Hope is a waking dream’ (Aristotle)
Throughout mankind’s history hope has prevailed as possibly the most powerful emotion. Many feelings have tried to dethrone hope from its supremacy but none have been able to even match up. Any other emotion has some bit of understanding attached to it. A certain kind of maturity or a cause-and-effect equation to prove it’s worth to the world. But hope is the only universal feeling that truly cuts across age, gender and even governs the animal kingdom.
Ever observed a baby closely? There is a marked difference in the way he looks at his mother vis-a-vis other people around. That twinkle in his eyes, that wail or chuckle, those hand and leg gestures – they are all hinged on hope. A baby has a blind faith that if he is hungry or unwell, his mother would understand the secret sign language and take care of him. More than love, every child’s growing up years are covered in dollops of hope. Whenever he is scolded by either parent, he runs to the other and expects to be shielded and caressed. Hope gives shelter to that confidence which creates a comfort zone for the kid’s development.
As adulthood and subsequently maturity takes over, hope also advances to the next level. It presents a predicament of duality like no other human emotion. We humans have a weird way of comforting ourselves. When in doubt we turn to God, in the hope that he will rescue us from the pain and suffering. And when we are happy we continue hoping that this phase lasts forever. When a couple in love succumbs to their pre-marital passion, they desperately hope that it does not result in conception. On the other hand, married couples copulate in the anticipation of starting a family. Hope for them is hinged on time and with every passing day it gets cemented by prayers. The real test for hope though comes in old age. Depreciated by life and bogged down by ill health, many ailing seniors secretly hope for a quick and peaceful end. Unfortunately at the same time, their spouses are hoping the same. It’s a tough call for even God to decide whose appeal to respond to first!
On a more realistic level, hope has a very strong and positive correlation with effort. While I’m no scientist, but my best guess says that the amount of genuine hard work put in any activity is directly proportionate to the degree of hope generated around its successful outcome. Maybe I’m naturally a positive thinker, but I’m yet to come across sufficient examples where the going-in premise of individuals is sans hope. No student ever appeared for an exam in the hope of failing and no candidate ever went for a job interview with an anticipation of not acing it. Even a criminal enters the court room with a slight tinge of hope that the judge might grant him some leniency.
So even though everyone knows that death and taxes are inevitable truths, yet there is an element of hope that prevails over our daily lives. The way people constantly hope for a better job, a better income, a better house and a better life amuses me and yet amazes me at another level. If hope was a commodity traded on the stock exchange, my portfolio would be heavily skewed towards it. Much like gold, hope may see daily or weekly volatility. But in the long run, it always emerges the winner. At least we hope it does! And if this is not hoping against hope, then what is?