Have Faith

This encouraging opinion article by Shani Grounds states multiple reasons why you should keep high hopes during this prolonged pandemic.

Have faith

By Shani Grounds

what is hope?

Many psychologists favor the definition of hope created by Charles R. Snyder, a psychologist at the University of Kansas. According to Snyder, the definition of hope is “the perceived capability to derive pathways to desired goals, and motivate oneself via agency thinking to use those pathways.” Agency is the belief that one can make something happen, or the motivation to reach a desired outcome. Pathways are the routes that allow one to reach their goals, such as losing weight, finding a better job, etc.

this is not the worst it has been

Many people might be tempted to say, “We are all doomed,” or “We have reached an all time low,” but these statements are not necessarily true. Compared to some past events, COVID-19 is not the worst thing that has happened to humanity. Without attempting to undermine the effects of COVID-19 has had on the world’s inhabitants, below are just a few examples of past events that prove how humanity has endured and persevered through more pressing times.

  • The Black Death: According to World History Encyclopedia, this bubonic plague killed at least 25 million people, or ⅓ of Europe’s population in the mid 1350s.

  • World War I: According to The Robert Schuman Centre, World War I resulted in 20 million recorded military and civilian deaths and 21 million injuries.

  • The 1960s in The United States: Vietnam War, Civil Rights Protests, The Cuban Missile Crisis, and the assassinations of 2 well-respected individuals: John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King. It ended on a good note in 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.

The scientific benefits to having hope

There are many scientific benefits to having a higher sense of hope, including the improvement of physical and mental health as well as improved academic performance. Harvard’s study, the “Human Flourishing Program”, displayed the impact of hope on nearly 13,000 people with an average age of 66. The study found that those with a higher sense of hope had major health advantages than those with little to no hope, such as fewer chronic health issues, fewer mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, lower risk of cancer, and a longer life. Furthermore, having faith in the future may also increase the chances of academic success. Maltby, a psychologist at Leicester University, tracked 129 college students for three years. He recorded their measures of hope, intelligence, personality, and previous academic achievement. He found that students with more hope were more likely to be successful in their academic pursuits.

how to foster hope

Decades of research has proven that hopelessness is more closely associated with suicide than depression, which is why finding hope is important to one’s overall well being. Shara Synd is a clinical psychologist in New York City who helps guide depressed patients toward finding optimism and hope. She claims that, when she reminds her patients of even their smallest achievements, it also helps remind them of what they are capable of as a human being. Another possible method to foster hope includes having a good laugh. One study in 2003 called “Sense of Humor” conducted by positive psychologist Dr. R. Martin showed that, among the study’s volunteers, hopefulness significantly increased after watching a humorous video.

summing it up

Ultimately, to keep it short and simple, it is worth the effort to foster hope. Although it is not an easy effort to keep high hopes (especially during these trying times), it is important in making life better in some ways.