You Don't Need to Feel Hopeful to Make a Difference

The struggle of thinking about the future when your present is uncertain

I started this Substack a few years ago because I was inspired by solarpunk art, stories, and activism. There was too much doomerism and it was hard to imagine what something better could look like. Solarpunk is a way to imagine a better future where we solve the major problems facing humanity. At first, writing on Substack was more of an intention than something I did. At the time, it was difficult to devote energy to writing and I only posted about twice a year. As my energy and free time have increased, so has my writing output and I plan to write even more this year. My goal with writing has both been to add more hopeful, thoughtful content to the Internet and to help cultivate a sense of hope in myself. Writing helps with clarity of thought and framing things in a utopian view helps utopia feel more possible. But, that’s become more difficult to do.

Since Trump has taken office, life has been very chaotic and stressful. I was a fellow at a federal agency — “was” being the keyword because one of Trump’s executive orders led to my already approved contract extension being rescinded. Not only have I been affected, but most of my social circle are people involved in the federal government in some way. I will be, relatively, fine. It has been heart warming to receive so much support from my friends, family, and former colleagues. Most people aren’t so fortunate. Many federal workers are suddenly losing jobs and do not have other good options, especially if they work in fields that heavily rely on government funding. If the personal damage to thousands of people was not enough, there are many problems that have happened and will continue to happen due to this hacking of agencies that do vital, urgent work.

So because of all of that, it has been harder to write in a hopeful, solutions-oriented way. I’m still in the midst of grieving my job and my field while being scared of what is to come. I realized that’s okay. Sometimes in trying to challenge defeatism and cynicism, people instead promote a relentless optimism that doesn’t give space for negative emotions. Not only is this an overreaction to an overbearing cynicism that’s taken over our culture, but it also draws upon a rich, especially US, tradition of a “can do” attitude no matter what. The problem is that you cannot create feelings of hope by suppressing feelings of hopelessness. All that does, if it does anything, is create a false sense of security that is easily shattered the moment things don’t go as planned.

Fortunately, you don’t need to feel hopeful to make a difference. You can struggle with doubt, be naturally pessimistic, and yet still help others, inspire hope, and make the world a better place. What’s important is not that you always feel hopeful, but that you keep trying. I cannot give platitudes that everything will “work out” and that everyone will be “okay.” There are many people already suffering and many will continue to suffer in ways that cannot be easily fixed. But I do know that many more people will not be okay if people stop trying. I might not feel hopeful right now but that’s okay. That doesn’t have to stop me from writing about hope or from engaging in whatever mutual aid and political action that I can.

Good luck out there.