Week 10: Chapter 9 — Hoping vs. Wishing: The Role of Realistic Optimism

1.Cloud draws a sharp distinction between hope and a wish. Hope, in his framework, is connected to reality — it is belief that something can change based on actual evidence that change is occurring. A wish is the desire for change without evidence. How does this distinction land for you? Does it feel liberating or deflating?

2.Cloud argues that 'hope is not a strategy' — that telling yourself things will get better without identifying the specific mechanism by which they will get better is a form of denial. Can you think of a situation in your life where you have been treating hope as a strategy? What would a realistic assessment look like?

3.Cloud talks about the kind of evidence that distinguishes real change from promised change. He suggests looking at patterns of behavior over time rather than moments of emotion or intention. What specific behaviors, over what timeframe, would constitute genuine evidence of change in a situation you are evaluating?