Hope vs. Optimism – The Future of Europe
No more wishful thinking.
Many people are not data-driven. They are biased and are not well-informed on the topic. Their intentions may be good, but their ideas can still be poor—mainly because they are not supported by data.
I can live with that.
However, it’s more difficult for me to take people seriously when there is a “dumb optimism” bias, especially when discussing the future of Europe.
They often confuse the difference between hope and optimism.
Optimism:
A coping mechanism to reduce stress and ensure emotional survival.
A belief that life generally trends toward the good.
“It will just work out.” It’s about the likelihood of things happening naturally.
It lacks urgency, clear actions, and concrete solutions.
It lacks an active attitude.
Hope:
The belief that a positive outcome is possible, even in uncertain or challenging situations.
It recognises obstacles.
It’s driven by emotional resilience and a desire for change.
It encourages effort.
It’s action-oriented—roll up your sleeves.
It’s goal-oriented.
We live in a radically uncertain, fast-changing digital world where technology will have a huge impact on our lives. Being naively optimistic - assuming “things will just work out” - is not the attitude we need to fix Europe.
We need hope.
Action-oriented. Emotionally resilient. Goal-oriented.
No more wishful thinking. We need a vision worth striving for.
It’s time we wake up and make change happen.
Hope.