It will likely come as a surprise to many that classical philosophies, and many modern philosophers who take inspiration from the classics, don’t put a lot of stock in hope. In fact, hope is seen by many classical philosophies, especially Stoicism, as both dangerous and actively destructive. Hope as a positive emotion didn’t take hold until Christianity became widespread and promised “salvation” in return for blind faith and trust; which is essentially just “hoping” things turn out well regardless of reason. In that small qualifier, “without reason,” lies the big difference. What is prayer if not unreasonable hope without action, and desire for an outcome which is out of our control? There are few things as un-Stoic as prayer.
In modern times, we’ve been taught to embrace hope as the ultimate positive approach to life. It was Anne Frank who wrote, “Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” The classics, especially the classical Stoics, disagree and would not approve. The classical Stoics had a very different view of hope versus the modern viewpoint. The Stoics denounce hope as a “pathos”—a passion based on error. Unlike Christian theology and many modern self-help approaches where hope is often a mischaracterized as a virtue, in Stoicism hope represents mental slavery to chance.
Hope, according to the Stoics, is to be shunned and is considered shameful; hope is the first defense of a weak and undisciplined mind, and the last refuge of a coward. To hope is to wish and pray for an external outcome, something beyond your control, leading the hopeful to wait, stagnant and unmoving, while “hoping for the best.” To hope is to fear, and to fear is to cower. Hope and fear go hand in hand in the Stoic mind; both ills of the mind.
Cease to hope and you will cease to fear. The primary cause of both these ills is that instead of adapting ourselves to present circumstances we send our thoughts too far ahead.—Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, Letter 5
Hope is a desire, and it is the lowest form of desire because by definition, it is the desire for what is out of our control. The Stoics frowned upon most desires, and outright rejected desires for anything beyond our control.
A bad feeling is a commotion of the mind repugnant to reason, and against nature. A bad feeling is divided into four species: sorrow, fear, desire, and pleasure.—Zeno, Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII
The Stoic focuses on what they can control, while also steeling and fortifying themselves against what they cannot. Beyond that, the Stoic accepts what comes naturally and without judgment. There is no room for hope in this philosophy. If you can control it, do so. If you cannot, fortify your body and mind to deal with it. Beyond that, accept what comes naturally.
Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.—Epictetus, Enchiridion, 8
You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 6.8
Further, the Stoics saw hope as a panacea which delays action, and softens the mind and body. While we are “hoping for the best,” we are not acting in accordance with nature, nor are we fortifying our body and mind. The Stoic does not hope. The Stoic builds resilience, so hope becomes irrelevant.
The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.20
Since the body is a tool of the soul, and if it is not healthy, it cannot serve the soul well… then we must train it, harden it, and accustom it to endure.—Musonius Rufus, Lectures 6
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.—Seneca, Dialogues, On Providence, III.5
So, if hope is desire, and desire is an ill of the mind, what about optimism Unfortunately, modern viewpoints have conflated and twisted hope and optimism to be one and the same. You hear the modern dialog, “Be optimistic! Have hope!” as if they are synonyms, or at least complimentary. The modern mind believes, if we lose hope, there is no point in being optimistic, because without hope, how can we be optimistic? In modern terms, when we say someone is “hopeless” or has “lost hope” we mean this to say they have “no optimism” and they have given up. Ask any average person, “If someone has lost all hope, is that person also optimistic about the future?” Of course, the answer will be “no;” however, the Stoic would have a different response.
To the Stoic mind, conflating hope and optimism is nonsense. Optimism is one of the tools that leads us away from hope, not toward it, and that’s a good thing. To the Stoic mind, hope destroys optimism, rightly so, and they are in no way compatible. For the Stoic mind, optimism flows from resilience, fortification, training, and discipline, not from hope. We are not optimistic because we have hope, we are optimistic because we have thrown away hope and have taken action to be optimistic without hope. We build our minds and bodies to be resilient. In this resilience, we are optimistic because we have done our job, steeling ourselves for whatever comes. To be hopeless is to be free in the realization we don’t need hope. Hope is for the weak, and we are not weak. The true Stoic is always optimistic, precisely because they have given up hope. What could be more optimistic than the two following passages, where hope is never mentioned.
You must build up your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible—and no one can keep you from this. But there will be some external obstacle! Not a problem for your mind, unless you choose to think it is.—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 5.20
All that happens is as familiar and well known as the rose in spring and the fruit in summer. Such are disease, death, slander, treachery, and all that gives fools joy or sorrow. What, then, should be one’s attitude? To meet everything that comes one’s way with the same weapons which you are armed with against other difficulties.—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 8.32
The message is clear. First, lose hope. Only the hopeless can see clearly what is needed, and can distinguish between the external and internal. Second, fortify and steel yourself against any eventuality so you will know you are prepared as best you can be. Lastly, if you have done your job developing your mind and body, be optimistic, everything will work as it should, in accordance with nature. What could be more optimistic than knowing you’ve done your best, and now you glsdy await what life has to offer?
He is lucky who realizes that 'luck' is the point where preparation meets opportunity.—Youth’s companion: Volume 86 (1912)
I do not hope for things to be easier; I prepare to meet them with strength.—Sweaty.PhD
Expanded answer to the reflective question? Haha good stuff brother.
Just did a collaborative piece on James Stockdale, one of my favorite modern Stoics. He told Jim Collins that it was the optimists who died first as prisoners but went on to describe them as people who had fleeting hope. Like you said, people intertwine these two words when they mean very different things as you’ve beautifully described. I’ve still come to use the term realistic optimism when speaking on the benefits of will and belief in yourself.
Powerful and what I would imagine will be controversial piece to some. I very much enjoy your writing style 👊🏻