I read about hope this morning on Maria Popova’s site The Marginalian. Popova ponders Steinbeck’s observations about hope as a survival effect of humans—Steinbeck calls it a “diagnostic human trait” (qtd. in Popova)—while he was on an expedition studying sea creatures. Nonetheless, as much as Steinbeck acknowledges that “hope cushions the shock of experience” (qtd. In Popova), the corollary is that hope also warps humans’ interpretations of their experiences.
The first forensic report I endured as part of one of the most horrendous experiences I have had in my adult life categorized me as someone who was overly optimistic: a Pollyanna, the psychologist said. “A Dr. Pangloss,” I replied. “All is best in the best of all possible worlds.” He nodded, but I am not sure he understood. Optimism may be a survival trait, but it also indicates stupidity or obtuseness—an inability to assess the reality of the situation until disaster is imminent, and even then there is that tiny, stubborn, ridiculous voice finding the silver lining in the apocalyptic clouds, the compulsion to create lemonade from dried up, sour lemons. Lisbon may be crumbling into ruins and consumed by fire, the holiest of Christian men may be murdering other Christians, soldiers could be raping and brutalizing the innocent… no matter. Dr. Pangloss would warp his philosophy around those atrocities until, eventually, it was only the weight of the narrative that destroyed it. Even so, Candide was not hopeless at the end of the novel: only more circumspect in his hope.
Sunrise. January. It is cold. My nose is running. But I am here. My children are safely asleep in their beds. We have food in the fridge, potable water, my rent is paid, the heat works. I have health insurance and a secure job. That is more than enough, isn’t it?
Works Cited
Popova, Maria. “The Tragic Miracle of Consciousness: John Steinbeck on the True Meaning and Purpose of Hope.” The Marginalian, 3 Jan. 2023, www.themarginalian.org/2023/01/03/john-steinbeck-hope.