The difference between optimism and hope

In his March 30, 2020 TED Connect conversation, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks makes an important distinction between optimism and hope that struck a chord for me. He states that “Optimism is the belief that things will get better. Hope is the belief that if we work hard enough, together we can make things better…. It takes no courage to be an optimist, but it takes a great deal of courage to have hope.”

In this time of great uncertainty, fear and isolation may we all carry some optimism as we journey on this pandemic marathon. At the same time, may we work to create circumstances of hope for ourselves, the people we love, our community and our world.