Hope for nothing

While being in ‘intelligent lockdown’, I had quite some time to read books. Among them: Everything is F*cked, A book about hope, by Mark Manson. Quite a dense book, I wouldn’t be able to summarize in one blog. It is essential to describe his definition of hope and freedom though. Because Manson states: ‘We should hope for nothing’.

By hope, Manson is referring to a motivation toward something perceived as valuable, what is sometimes described as ‘purpose’ or ‘ meaning’ in the academic literature. As a result, he discusses hope drawing on motivation and value theory (and confuses them together, he adds). This is a different view from stating hope is an emotion, as I did in an earlier blog. Brene Browns Daring Greatly states: hope is not an emotion. It’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process. Research of C.R. Snyder on hope shows that emotions play a supporting role, but hope is really a thought process made of goals, pathway and agency. But according to Manson, we have one challenge in life. To hope for nothing.

To act without hope, to not hope for better, but be better. In this moment and the next. We must learn to love what is. Hope for this. Hope for the infinite opportunity and oppression present in every single moment.

Mark Manson

Diversions come and go. Pleasure never lasts. Variety loses its meaning. But you will always be able to choose what you are willing to sacrifice. What you are willing to give up. Ultimately, the most meaningful freedom in your life comes from your commitments. The thing in life for which you have chosen to sacrifice. Manson refers to pain as value and anti-fragility as growth and maturity.

Around the same time I watched a video of international functional yoga teacher Anat Geiger about stress. The first definition of stress is ‘exerted pressure or tension’. When we apply tension to our muscles when exercising, we are literally stressing those muscles. Is that bad? Of course not. In fact, the only way to make muscles stronger is by stressing them.

If you sit around all day, avoiding as much stress as you can, the results will not be a happy, relaxed body. But a weak and deteriorating one. If we do not stress our brain with information and study, we will not be care-free beings, just undeveloped ones. If we don’t stress our immune system, we won’t be able to deal with certain threats from outside. Stressing is in reality fundamental to organic life.

Manson mentioned the pain of regular physical exercise ultimately enhances your psychical freedom, your strength, mobility, endurance and stamina. And of course you shouldn’t overdo it. Too much stress is not healthy. But giving up all stress for more comfort isn’t great either. Because there is virtually no growth, development or improvement without some stress.

Order the book of Mark Manson here. Read all about Anat Geiger’s vision on stress here.