Phil Rosen's Blog

Phil Rosen's Blog

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
What We Need Most But Cannot Grasp
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
User's avatar
Discover more from Phil Rosen's Blog
Essays at the intersection of work, business, and personal growth from the desk of an award-winning journalist building a financial media startup.
Already have an account? Sign in

What We Need Most But Cannot Grasp

Phil Rosen's avatar
Phil Rosen
Jan 03, 2020

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
What We Need Most But Cannot Grasp
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

On Hope and the Future

Each Christmas and every birthday, we receive gifts. Gifts in the form of toys or games or clothes or jewelry; or maybe a new car or bike. It’s traditional and fun.

As nice as they are, these things don’t keep us going into the new year. These gifts—items and space-fillers—aren’t what motivates us or brings joy into our lives. Momentary excitement, fleeting moments of wide-eyed wonder, naturally. But these don't last long. It it what we cannot touch that brings us joy and meaning. Love and shared time with family and friends is what sustains us, motivates us to keep moving forward.

In short, it is hope. Hope sustains us, imbues our lives with purpose and meaning. Hope for love and lasting relationships, hope for fulfillment of potential and goals, hope for something meaningful to strive for and work towards. The gifts, goods, or even goals in themself aren’t what brings meaning into our lives. These are consequences of a root — the root itself being hope.

In his book, Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom said he “fell in love with hope.”

That’s a funny thing to say, isn’t it? Hope isn’t tangible. It exists only in abstract and in mental conception. Hope cannot be grasped or touched. Yet Albom identifies this as the object of his greatest affection. Why? How can this be the case?

Hope is inherently a future-oriented notion. A concept aimed at something in particular — an item worthy of aiming for. Hope is what transpires when we aim at something meaningful — aspirations, romance, personal goals, security. Hope can also take the form of confidence in potential. It’s the assurance that the future holds something of value, something worth waiting for and aiming toward.

Despite all these things that hope provides, hope cannot be touched or held. Hope holds no place in reality. It exists in dreams, potential, and aspiration.

How is it that we place so much meaning in something closer to metaphysical than not?

The Buddha said himself,

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

Hope supplies the journey before the destination. Hope is what ensures our journey remains motivated, happy, and directed. These take salience over arriving safely and successfully. We place so much meaning in the abstract because it is what propels us to the future and keeps us warm at night. Hope is what helps us sleep through storms and hold on to what’s meaningful in times of sorrow.

We all aim to have hope, seek hope, and like Mitch Albom, love hope.



Subscribe to Phil Rosen's Blog

Essays at the intersection of work, business, and personal growth from the desk of an award-winning journalist building a financial media startup.

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
What We Need Most But Cannot Grasp
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
I asked 2,800 people for the best life advice they’ve ever received. This is what they said.
The wisdom of crowds is rarely wrong. Here's what 2,800 people told me about the best life advice they've ever heard.
Jan 1, 2023 • 
Phil Rosen
7

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
I asked 2,800 people for the best life advice they’ve ever received. This is what they said.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
The Genius of Mad Men: How Don Draper tells his own story to create meaning from nothing
The brilliant story of how one man uses storytelling to control everything and everyone - and what it means.
Mar 7, 2023 • 
Phil Rosen
2

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
The Genius of Mad Men: How Don Draper tells his own story to create meaning from nothing
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
George Orwell lays out 6 rules for clear writing and forceful communication
One of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century prioritized clear communication and warned against complex language.
Jan 16, 2023 • 
Phil Rosen
1

Share this post

Phil Rosen's Blog
Phil Rosen's Blog
George Orwell lays out 6 rules for clear writing and forceful communication
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Ready for more?

© 2025 Phil Rosen
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.