Hardwired for Hope
Robert Dawson
1 Peter 1: 3-5
I have heard it said many times, ''Human beings can live for 40 days without food, 4 days without water and 4 minutes without air but they cannot live 4 seconds without hope.'' I am not sure about the accuracy of the math in that statement but the sentiment behind it is on target.
Hope is the belief that things can and will get better. It is the desire for positive things to happen, for dreams to become reality. Hope is important. It is it is endemic to the human condition and is necessary not just for thriving but surviving.
Tali Sharot, a Professor of cognitive neuroscience in the department of Experimental Psychology at University College London, argues that hope is hardwired into our brains and can be the difference between living a healthier life as opposed to one trapped in despair.
Her studies indicate, at least on a personal level, that we expect things to turn out better than they often do. We underestimate the chances of something bad happening to us, like divorce, losing a job or being stricken with cancer. By the same token, we tend to overestimate our achievements and abilities, even our potential lifespan.
She calls this the ''optimism bias,'' the belief that the future will be better than the present.
While it can lead to disappointment, when things don't match expectations or keep us from taking necessary and rational precautions, she writes, ''It also protects and inspires us; it keeps us moving forward rather than to the nearest high-rise ledge...To make progress, we need to be able to imagine alternative realities - better ones -and believe that we can achieve them.'' (theguardian.com/science/2012/jan/01/tali-sharot-the-optimism-bias-extract)
She's right. We all think about what life could be like and when we do, like most people, we think about a life/future that is significantly better than the one we currently have.
- Yes, while hope can lead to disappointment, it is ...
Robert Dawson
1 Peter 1: 3-5
I have heard it said many times, ''Human beings can live for 40 days without food, 4 days without water and 4 minutes without air but they cannot live 4 seconds without hope.'' I am not sure about the accuracy of the math in that statement but the sentiment behind it is on target.
Hope is the belief that things can and will get better. It is the desire for positive things to happen, for dreams to become reality. Hope is important. It is it is endemic to the human condition and is necessary not just for thriving but surviving.
Tali Sharot, a Professor of cognitive neuroscience in the department of Experimental Psychology at University College London, argues that hope is hardwired into our brains and can be the difference between living a healthier life as opposed to one trapped in despair.
Her studies indicate, at least on a personal level, that we expect things to turn out better than they often do. We underestimate the chances of something bad happening to us, like divorce, losing a job or being stricken with cancer. By the same token, we tend to overestimate our achievements and abilities, even our potential lifespan.
She calls this the ''optimism bias,'' the belief that the future will be better than the present.
While it can lead to disappointment, when things don't match expectations or keep us from taking necessary and rational precautions, she writes, ''It also protects and inspires us; it keeps us moving forward rather than to the nearest high-rise ledge...To make progress, we need to be able to imagine alternative realities - better ones -and believe that we can achieve them.'' (theguardian.com/science/2012/jan/01/tali-sharot-the-optimism-bias-extract)
She's right. We all think about what life could be like and when we do, like most people, we think about a life/future that is significantly better than the one we currently have.
- Yes, while hope can lead to disappointment, it is ...
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