I have had several episodes of major depression. For me these episodes have always been defined by a complete lack of hope.
For me antidepressants have been a great source of biologically induced hope and I have come to think of them as a last line of hope in feeling better

Hope is the emotional sponsor of Research.

I have spent my entire career in Research.

Without Hope, there is no support for the Research Enterprise.

Hope seems to me to be a form of energy and a path away from self, or at least self-absorption.

A professor I had in college used to say (over and over), “don’t hope, DO.”

In the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church the eight deadly sin is “HOPELESSNESS”.
Also
The purpose of the 40 Days of The Great Lent is more an exercise of experiencing the absence of “hope” and of course culminates with HOPE.
Prior to receiving Holy Communion it is not the stomach but the heart that should be completely emptied.

Glad to help from “Little Rhody” whose guiding principle, motto is “Hope” (emblazoned as the only word below the anchor on its state flag)

In the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church the eight deadly sin is “HOPELESSNESS”.
Also
The purpose of the 40 Days of The Great Lent is more an exercise of experiencing the absence of “hope” and of course culminates with HOPE.
Prior to receiving Holy Communion it is not the stomach but the heart that should be completely emptied.

Glad to help from “Little Rhody” whose guiding principle / motto is “Hope” (emblazoned as the only word below the anchor on its state flag)

I think of hope as something we do, preferably with others. Of course, it is a feeling, but the way out of hopelessness, I think, is by imagining that the future is uncertain but influenceable. This turns our attention to the actions we take, particularly with others.

It is not either/or; Rush Limbaugh/Barack Obama; silly/important. It is both/and. Two boys hear the school bell ringing and start running to get there. One says “Let’s stop and pray.” The other says “Let’s pray and keep running.”

Rush Limbaugh is Grinch and Scrooge all wrapped up in a nice little package of a self-absorbed egomaniac.

Without hope you give up. If you give up then what?

I have hope that somehow our system will change.
I don’t think it will, but I hope it will.

I hope for a real universal health care system that is well run. I hope for a day when people don’t have to worry about going bankrupt from getting sick.

I hope for living wages and decent housing for all.
I hope for change in how wealth is distributed.
I know this is not going to happen, due to the overwhelming evidence that greed and cheating is rewarded and doing the right thing is not only discouraged it is shunned.

But I hope this will change.

Hope helped to elected Barack Obama.

We shall see.

“Don’t hope, do” misses something important. If you have no hope, you do not do.
Regarding the comment on Lithuanians – many people who lived under these types of regimes have a hard time believing that they can make a difference as individuals – they are in the process of learning that they can right now. In another part of the world, a person who works with foreign volunteers asked me if it was a type of arrogance for the volunteers to say “I want to make a difference” – i.e. she didn’t believe individuals can make a difference (even though she does every day!). But all this is a question of socio-economic-political systems. Hope, though, is something more personal and affects the intimate aspects of our lives as well as those that are public. I agree that we all need it…

Hee that lives in hope danceth without musick.
—George Herbert, 1593–1633
Anglican Priest and Poet

I liked the comment by the Buddhist whose teacher said to give up both hope and fear in order to fully deal with present reality. And I felt like Tom kind of blew him off saying that ‘we need to DO something.’ It seems to me that by being fully present to reality without hope or fear allows the appropriate action to become apparent. Perhaps this is trust (in the goodness of life) instead of hope. Personally, I’ve been more motivated to action and to spiritual practice by times of hopelessness.

Thanks to Chris who called in with the insight of a Buddhist perspective toward the end of this hour. He introduced what had been a notable absence throughout the conversation and it was well presented by the caller (hope and fear being different sides of the same absence of openness to the unfolding present). Yep, perhaps it was so late in the conversation that Tom just couldn’t go there or give it space – but, I was glad voice this was raised.

Let’s face it; Ashbrook and Limbaugh are both cut from the same cloth. Today Ashbrook lifted a quote out of context and filled a whole hour expressing himself without ever seeing that hope can have diverse meanings. Compare the Buddhist view with the adolescent “jeff” and his wish list of failed collectivist notions.

This of course, is little more than a continuation of NPR’s two year commercial for Obama…apparently Ashbrook wants the tingle to last as long as possible.

Another show with a clergycritter on it. I suppose that since NPR has shifted right, it has to assuage the superstitions that run rampant among most Amurkins. I’d rather hear from secular, rational speakers, instead of those who speak for the Big Invisible Sky Fairy.

@D.Cutter

I am a proud christian but I do not think that athiests should be denied a voice because I’m not a facist. Merry Christmas my friend.

Tiger so nice of you to use insults to make your points.
That is being an adolescent in my view.

It’s so nice to have the conservative mind set in full view. Nasty, vindictive, self absorbed, and offering up nothing. Absolutely nothing. It’s quite obvious that the conservative idea that the “market will solve everything” does not work. It’s failed, and people like
Tiger here are just to blind to see that their failed ideology has not working. It must be painful however to fail so miserably, to have your prince, GW Bush fail and to do it in such a way as to go down in history as the wost president, I repeat the worst president in our history.

My list is of failed collectivist notions? Funny how over 75% of the country want national health care.
It’s funny how “adolescent’s” such as Robert Reich believe that wages in this country are out of proportion to the profits made by corporations.

It’s funny how the greed of few has brought our country and most of the world into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It’s very telling how you use the words of others to vent your anger. It’s a stench really, you smell, you reek of the foul smell of the Bush era. You need a bath.

All I’m saying is, I think that being in favor of censoring solely people based on their religious or political beliefs is a facist position. Do you disagree Jeff?

I was not talking about you Sam. I have no problem with what your saying.

Your entitled to your beliefs as much as I’m entitled to not to believe in “Big Invisible Sky Fairy”.

This is a public forum I don’t see anyone censoring anyone.
It’s not a fascist position to censor, it was done in the film industry for years, it was called the Hays Code.

It’s done on TV and radio now, except for cable.

That call from Christine in East Providence, the woman who had just discovered her father was actually African American–and thus she had “converted” her entire view of her life and her family history was remarkable! I loved her insights and her sense of her life. Thank you. Rick

Seems as if hard times has hit WBUR.
We now have had two days of rebroadcasts and are heading for more. NPR is cutting shows and staff.
I guess On Point might be next…