I am a born pessimist. And I am an optimist. Two natures that have been fighting for precedence for a lifetime. The pessimist in me has good arguments. And he doesn’t have to look hard for it. Every day they pour in through the media and kitchen table. An example. Many children and young people are afraid of the future. According to a worldwide survey that last year in the medical journal The Lancet more than half of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 are very concerned about the climate. Forty percent of young people are afraid to have children of their own for this reason. These are our children. This is their future expectation. That makes you sad.
The born optimist in me also has a good story. Sometimes he keeps me going with simple aphorisms. Like: you can always give up. Or: there’s no future in pessimism.
He also likes to quote psychological knowledge. For example about hope. That hope is good for you. It makes you happier and healthier. And that hope is not naive. That according to psychologist Charles Snyder, one of the pioneers in this field of research, hope is about seeing connections between the current situation and a desired future situation. These connections consist of two parts. You have to distinguish ways to realize that better future and you have to believe that you yourself can contribute to that better future.
In the run-up to Christmas I try to make some peace between my pessimistic and optimistic nature. To honestly face the rottenness, and yet to keep looking for progression, improvement, redemption perhaps.
How?
By immersing myself in hopeful people. Which, by the way, you find surprisingly often in unpleasant places. The German theologian Jürgen Moltmann said that if you really want to know the power of hope, you have to look at the people who endure the most misery. “The rich have no hope. They only fear because they have something to lose. But those who have nothing to lose but their chains – as Marx once said – have real hope for a different future.”
I also take comfort from the daily commentary in this newspaper. A group of seasoned journalists who collectively and anonymously provide a touch of calm nuance to the deluge of news and opinions. With ifs and buts with all too beautiful stories. And with some optimism where pessimism reigns.
And I draw hope from the resilience of young people. They place creativity and hope against their well-founded fear. An example. At the end of September, the Young Climate Movement – to which some 45 youth organizations are affiliated – presented a Climate agenda for 2040. They envision a future in which people live in harmony with nature: car-free cities, healthy, sustainable food and a fair economy in which our work really adds something to the world. These are our children. This is their dream for the future. That makes you happy.
I almost forget something. Christmas also helps. An old story about a helpless child who is born into a sad world and comes to bring new opportunities. Unbelievable, the pessimist in me shouts. And yet hopeful, whispers my inner optimist.
Ben Tiggelaar writes weekly about personal leadership, work and management.
A version of this article also appeared in the December 24, 2022 newspaper
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