Thursday, June 30, 2011

Hope

“Hope you’re feeling better” “Gosh, I hope that works out.” Hope. Hope. Hope. But what is hope?



I recently read an article “The Optimism Bias” from Time Magazine that discussed the brain’s function in memory learning and the effects of optimism. The author defines the optimism bias as “the belief that the future will be better than the past and present.” While some may grow wary or develop a more pessimistic outlook, this article argues that optimism may be hardwired into our brains to help human beings evolve. We would not show progress if humans could not be optimistic because we would never take risks. We would be stuck in the caveman era afraid of the future and never pushing forward. Evolution is aided by optimism, a possibility at imagining a better future.



While optimism may be hardwired into our brains, in my opinion hope and optimism are closely linked. Without hope, traditionally defined as believing that what we want is attainable, people would never try. It is important to keep hope alive alongside optimism, and here at The Mustard Seed, our walls are filled from top to bottom, left to right, diagonal to diagonal with hope. Hope for a green, sustainable future. Hope for fully furnished homes. Hope for you. Hope for me. Hope for us.



This hope is sustained with donations, so please remember to donate your unused mattresses and old furniture. Christina’s Corner #2: Donate! You will renew hope and receive a tax deduction. Besides, we are all biased towards optimism, right?



Referenced article available here: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2074067,00.html


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