"One of my favourite philosophers thinks that whether you're in hope or despair has less to do with how likely you think the outcome is and everything to do with what you focus on. Say you and I both sign up for an experimental drug that's cured a 10th of the people who've taken it so far. One of us focuses on the fact that it might work. The other on the fact that it probably won't. We could both have exactly the same view about the likelihoods that it works for 10% of people but where we put our attention can make the difference between hope or despair."
A person in their early 30s expresses fear about missing opportunities for partnership and parenthood, particularly after spending their 20s in an unfulfilling relationship. They struggle with guardedness and disconnection from hope while watching friends achieve the life they desire. A philosopher's perspective suggests that hope versus despair correlates not with actual probability of outcomes, but with where attention is focused. Two people facing identical odds can experience fundamentally different emotional states based on what they choose to emphasize. The most hopeful individuals typically avoid fixating on precise calculations of likelihood, instead directing focus toward possibility.
#hope-and-despair #attention-and-perspective #life-timing-and-regret #romantic-partnership #emotional-resilience
Read at www.theguardian.com
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