Nietzsche called hope “the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.” and I would agree if we are talking about false or unjustified hope. This kind of hope is no more than wishful thinking. But in an article called The New and Hopeful Science of Hope, Robert Roy Britt reports on a recent study about the benefits of hope as an emotion.
Megan Edwards, the study’s author explains, “Our research shifts the perspective on hope from merely a cognitive process related to goal attainment to recognizing it as a vital emotional experience that enriches life’s meaning.”
According to a post in Medium “studies have shown that it [a hopeful outlook] is a more effective stress management tool than mindfulness”.
Edwards’ study does not explicitly differentiate between unjustified hope and justified hope but I suspect that if a study was carried out to assess the relative effectiveness between the two that justified hope would prove to be the more effective stress reduction agent and promoter of living meaningful lives.
As was stated earlier, unjustified hope is no more than wishful thinking. It is unjustified because there is no reason to think that it is likely to come true. Nor is there any evidence that it may actually occur. Justified hope is just opposite. The likelihood of its coming true is supported by evidence and logical reasons.
As explained in The Hopeful Mindset, projects undertaken with an understanding of The Hopeful Mindset’s premise are likely to be successful because they are planned and executed according to the interdependent nature of existence. Hope for the success of such endeavours are justified because their foundation in an interdependent view of reality means they are in alignment with the nature of existence, thus maximizing the chances of their success.
I believe that living according to the values of The Hopeful Mindset will enhance the reduction in stress and increases in meaningful living that studies on the effects of hope have shown to occur.