Virtue:
Hope
Other names:
Definition:
"Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit" (CCC 1817)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
We're not aware of any empirical research on Hope as a supernatural virtue. Instead, psychologists study hope as an orientation towards the future that involves having confidence in positive outcomes and acting in ways that will make those outcomes more likely; CSV suggests a distinction between hope as an emotional disposition and optimism as a more intellectual expectation.
Optimism predicts high achievement in a variety of professional domains, freedom from anxiety and depression, strong relationships and physical health (Buchanan & Seligman, 1995; Snyder, 2002). It is linked to active problem solving (Aspinwall & Brunhart, 1996; Scheir, Weintraub, & Carver, 1986), diligence and ability to delay gratification (Agarwal, Tripathi, & Srivastava, 1983; Davids & Sidman, 1962). People with a high degree of optimism tend to make "to do" lists, use day planners, wear wristwatches and balance their checkbooks (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999).
Optimism predicts high achievement in a variety of professional domains, freedom from anxiety and depression, strong relationships and physical health (Buchanan & Seligman, 1995; Snyder, 2002). It is linked to active problem solving (Aspinwall & Brunhart, 1996; Scheir, Weintraub, & Carver, 1986), diligence and ability to delay gratification (Agarwal, Tripathi, & Srivastava, 1983; Davids & Sidman, 1962). People with a high degree of optimism tend to make "to do" lists, use day planners, wear wristwatches and balance their checkbooks (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Fear
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Despair
Presumption
Presumption
Case Study 1
ReplyDeleteJohn Abbate, an independent franchisee owner and operator of McDonald's restaurants throughout the Central Valley of California, explains how he makes a point of running his business in a way that fosters hope among his employees.
"I truly believe that service and hospitality businesses such as McDonald’s can provide an incredible ray of hope for so many Americans who face these realities. Whenever I have the opportunity, I preach McDonald’s as an incredible bridge of hope to the future young people envision for themselves. If continuing education is the goal, we provide scholarships, flexible scheduling, and even tutoring. If someone’s dream is to learn some basic work and hospitality skills, McDonald’s provides a great first step toward any future career in hospitality or people management. If a career in the restaurant or hospitality industry is the hope, McDonald’s has very sophisticated training programs that allow for a high level of learning and execution at every stage of advancement and complexity of the business. The beauty of McDonald’s is that a person can become a very successful general manager, supervisor, or more without a college degree.” (Abbate, Invest Yourself, pp. 81-82)
Case Study 2
ReplyDeleteJim Collins writes in Good to Great about prisoner-of-war survivor Admiral Jim Stockdale, giving a good example of the virtue of hope. "'I never lost faith in the end of the story,' [Stockdale] said, when I asked him. 'I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.'
"I didn’t say anything for many minutes, and we continued the slow walk toward the faculty club, Stockdale limping and arc-swinging his still leg that had never fully recovered from repeated torture. Finally, after about a hundred meters of silence, I asked, 'Who didn’t make it out?'
"'Oh, that’s easy,' he said. 'The optimists.'
"'The optimists? I don’t understand,' I said, now completely confused, given what he’d said a hundred meters earlier.
"'The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, "We’re going to be out by Christmas." And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, "We’re going to be out by Easter." And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.'
"Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, 'This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.' To this day, I carry a mental image of Stockdale admonishing the optimists: 'We’re not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!'" (Collins, Good to Great, pp. 84-85)