Eleanor Roosevelt viewed hope as a pragmatic, intelligent choice over fear and a driving force tied directly to action, dreams, and human progress. Much like Michelle Obama, she rejected passivity, believing that hope requires active cultivation, courage, and a refusal to give in to defeatism. She argued that historical progress proves optimism is a more rational and productive strategy than paralysis.
“Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try,” she wrote in her book, You Learn by Living. She firmly drew a line between passive wishing and active, hopeful planning, reminding people that “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” She also noted that “Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, 'It can't be done.'”
Well written and thought provoking.
Eleanor Roosevelt viewed hope as a pragmatic, intelligent choice over fear and a driving force tied directly to action, dreams, and human progress. Much like Michelle Obama, she rejected passivity, believing that hope requires active cultivation, courage, and a refusal to give in to defeatism. She argued that historical progress proves optimism is a more rational and productive strategy than paralysis.
“Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try,” she wrote in her book, You Learn by Living. She firmly drew a line between passive wishing and active, hopeful planning, reminding people that “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” She also noted that “Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, 'It can't be done.'”
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/44566.Eleanor_Roosevelt
Thank you Shanley, going through a rough patch right now and your piece really spoke to me, especially the last paragraph. I have clipped and saved.
Lovely post. I also appreciate your political posts... your writing is just amazing. (In the original sense of the word, before a pizza was amazing.)
I love this piece Shanely, and plan to share it with others who I know will appreciate it.