Rebecca Solnit

Hope in the Dark

1. IDEA 1

   Hope lives in uncertainty

   Solnit argues that hope is not the belief that everything will turn out fine, nor despair that nothing can change. It comes from recognising that the future is uncertain, which means our actions can make a difference.

2. IDEA 2

   Hope differs from optimism

   Solnit distinguishes hope from optimism, which assumes good outcomes regardless of effort. Hope requires action. An optimist sits back and expects things to turn out well, but a hopeful person accepts that the future is uncertain and works to shape it.

3. IDEA 3

   History is full of surprises

   Solnit points to events like the fall of the Berlin Wall, which few predicted. History often changes suddenly. Because the future cannot be known, she says, giving up is unwise, since a surprise for the better may be on the way.

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