Hope or No Hope or Practical Hope!!!

In pursuit of practical hope

It’s too hot, we may have a good soothing monsoon this time. This is “Hope” (Sparta) is the ultimate thing in this world (even in this heat wave summer). It keeps us alive (~Cool drink) every day and drives us to work hard for achieving the aims and aspirations of individuals, groups and in fact the whole mankind.

“If Winter comes can spring be far behind!!”- A famous line from the poem “Ode to the west wind” through which the poet P.B. Shelley emphasized on cyclical nature of difficult and good times i.e. if today we are surrounded with problems, issues and difficulties, tomorrow is bound to be happy, beautiful and marvelous. In fact this belief of cyclic nature of times is based on optimism as there is no scientific evidence for the same.

Why do you think we take the support of Optimism (Hope) even when we see negligible chances of things sorting out in our favor and difficulties getting replaced by solutions? To live…To fool oneself….No other alternative…or May be it is the solution to get solutions to the status quo. If the latter is true, Optimism is bliss and must be resorted to in all circumstances and situations in life. But do we do so and follow only Optimism and nothing else? No, we sometimes (depending from person-to-person) uses the step-brother (opposite bank of the river Optimism)-Pessimism. Why do we do so?

Pessimism asks several questions from Optimism and many a times proves that one needs to be pragmatic (practical) and not a blind optimist. Thus, Pessimism uses Practicality as a weapon to get its enemy Optimism down in the battle of supremacy and selection of one over the other. This is what the blog wants to target upon- Whether Optimism is impractical and the weapon of Pragmatism holds any significance? And is there any possibility for the existence of a third element which mankind may resort to in this difficult and challenging life?

Shouldn’t we rejuvenate ourselves and accept the third element- Pragmatic Optimism (PO), rejecting Pessimism (even in the true/false pretext of Pragmatism). This short write-up is an ambitious attempt to explain this concept of Pragmatic Optimism (self-coined concept).

PO is an amalgam of Pragmatism and Optimism. Thus, it asks one to be optimist but at the same time practical/ pragmatic. Practicality does not mean rejection of choices/ chances/ alternatives. It also doesn’t mean closing eyes when one can’t see the roads to future. It means Try Hard to transform darkness to light and Think Twice before you accept darkness after it becomes evident that “it is what it is”.

The best example one may quote of PO is the basis of the methodology used by the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi (MG) against British in the country’s freedom struggle. He knew a battle on ground using weapons and artillery can’t be ever won against the mighty colonial power, ruling over more people in the world as compared to its own country’s population. Thus, MG used the modus-operandi of SATYAGRAHA, non-violent struggle for truth. Many misjudge it as Petition & Prayer approach of Moderates and feel this was the method for the coward and weak not for the youth and bold (though the truth is on the contrary). 30 years of his freedom struggle journey (1917-47) and the 3 movements- Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement on the same ideology of non-violence and satyagraha and today we know what difference it made to this nation. His unique yet fabulous and successful tool or weapon in nation and abroad (South Africa) was not less deadly than a nuclear weapon but with least casualties and fatalities on ground, the end result was achieved. 

The statement above in italics shows MG’s PO attitude and changed the world for ever and forever. Optimism of getting the nation free from the clutches of the English and Pragmatic as the method of Satyagraha was employed to gain independence unlike the other methods which may be heroic, bold and brave but short-lived and thus may not succeed in achieving the objective.

In the literature and philosophical war between Optimism (O) and Pessimism (P’), this new element Pragmatic Optimism (PO) may be considered as a midway between the two extremities.

If Optimism is finding light in dark, Pessimism is negating even the axiom (truth beyond proof).

If Optimism is fighting against TB/AIDS/Cancer and win the battle over it to live a disease-less life, Pessimism is dying before death.

Applying PO to the above cases, we can say Pragmatic Optimism is searching for the rocks/matchstick/torch/LED; fighting against the deadly diseases and come out with flying colours (Yuvraj Singh-hit a six to send Cancer not only out of the stadium but his life).

Optimism is an attitude, personality trait, a way of living life and much more for few and Pessimism for others. Let’s replace both O and P’ with PO and universalize the concept that had, can have and would have a long-lasting imprint on our life, your lives and the world we dwell in.

Hope (O-PO) to come soon with a new blog. It’s based on PO as evident from my past blogs. That’s how we all may apply PO in small, petty trivia yet important and life-changing cases anytime sometimes and every time.

"A better tomorrow is in your hands if you see tomorrow on the lines on optimism and pragmatism as against pessimism and idealism."