Optimism vs. Hopefulness: An Important Distinction.
Rabbi Ron Stern
“Who do you think sent the boat, the helicopter, and the Coast Guard?”
It’s the punchline of a well-worn joke, often aimed at those whose faith is so dogmatic that it blinds them to all but the most awesome displays of the Divine, obscuring the less-glorious, incremental opportunities that can change our lives. Our Rabbi Ron Stern uses that joke to teach about the distinction between hope and optimism, cautioning that we not sacrifice the former on the altar of the latter.
Optimism is the belief that things will turn out alright, regardless of all evidence to the contrary. Hope, however, makes no such assumptions. Hope is a conviction that one can act to make things better in some way, even if that way may seem insignificant.
July 8, 2022 | 9 Tammuz, 5782