Romanticism is not felt only when in love. It can be felt in any feeling that may come to us. We live a life replete with uncertainties. Being hopeful is a trait that is very natural to us. ‘Being hopeful’ is a romantic feeling to have and defines optimism in simple words.
But the intensity of feelings associated with “Hope” vary across individuals. For some its the pessimism that is interspersed in optimism while for some its optimism that is peppered between pessimistic feelings. But why does this vary across individuals? Philosophers and leaders talk about optimism as a trait and explain what it is to be optimistic.
But how can we ensure as a process that we are always optimistic? Here I draw an analogy to an exhaust fan. Unlike other fans that have an air movement inwards towards us, exhaust fan expels the air outside away from us.
Similarly, our lives are full of events that impacts us positively and/ or negatively and we should all provision for an exhaust fan in our lives. It will work to expel the undesirable and negative away from us. Till the time its well oiled anything undesirable should stay away from us and not within.
One of my favorite quotes about life is “Live all you can – it’s a mistake not to. It doesn’t so much matter what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If you haven’t had that, what have you had?”
“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” – Howard Zinn
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