In 1957, researchers from the team of American behavioral scientist Curt Richter conducted an experiment by placing rats into a tank of water from which there was no escape. When wild rats were thrown in, they paddled for about 15 minutes before giving up and drowning. However, domesticated rats accustomed to humans swam for an astonishing 40 to 60 hours before succumbing.
The researchers were baffled. They then modified the experiment: this time, they briefly removed the wild rats from the water after a few minutes and then placed them back in. The results were remarkable. These wild rats, too, now swam for 40 to 60 hours. The explanation? The wild rats had never before experienced rescue; they had always been left to fend for themselves. Convinced there was no escape, they gave up after a mere 15 minutes. But the wild rats that were briefly rescued experienced something transformative: they learned that rescue was possible. The researchers concluded that this simple intervention had given the rats something powerful, something that kept them paddling for hours on end: hope.
Hope is the engine of life, the driving force behind our existence: "I hope this love will last forever." "I hope the pain in my stomach is nothing serious." "I hope I’ll find a job or be released from prison soon." "I hope the war will end." "I hope it rains today so the harvest will be good." Every morning begins with a hope, no matter how small—whether for good weather or a meaningful conversation. The refugee stepping into a boat, the patient entering therapy—hope shows them the way.
Hope Fuels Strength Against Adversity
From an evolutionary perspective, hope has proven its worth: it provides a motivational boost. Those who believe things will turn out well are more likely to do everything necessary to achieve their goal. In the process, stress and exhaustion are momentarily sidelined, and the body pushes itself to its limits. This mindset can make the difference between survival and death, between illness and recovery. Recent studies show that optimism functions like a self-fulfilling prophecy, acting as an invisible medicine.
Neuroscience reveals that hope has a specific neural anatomy. Neurobiologists have identified brain regions that become especially active during hopeful thoughts. Certain neural pathways are activated, observable via MRI scans, and corresponding metabolic processes are set in motion.
Faith Helps
It almost seems miraculous: pills with no active ingredients can alleviate symptoms if patients believe they are taking real medication. The mere belief in an impending effect prompts the brain to initiate metabolic processes that support that effect, often easing pain without any external intervention.
The Challenge of Hope in the modern World of high expectations
In today’s high-performance society, hope struggles to find its place. Modern hope often hinges on the idea of achieving total control and absolute safety. We want to believe all ailments can be cured, that a return to perfect health is always possible. Yet this mindset risks losing the ability to adapt to what cannot be fixed. True hope also means learning to live with illness, not necessarily erasing it entirely.
The Perils of Unrealistic Hope and Toxic Positivity
On the other hand, hope can be deceptive and even dangerous. The modern Western world fosters sky-high expectations—we crave more and more, often far beyond our actual needs. The abundance of options leads to a crisis of confidence. Countless self-help books and self-proclaimed healers suggest that life’s crises and challenges can be overcome through sheer positive thinking—“just be happy.” For some, this has become a substitute religion, but it can become an unbearable burden.
Those who focus solely on positivity and ignore adversity may end up less prepared. Relying on fantasies of a rosy future often leads to neglecting the hard work needed to get there. Illness, separation, loss, migration, and other hardships bring pain and suffering that cannot simply be wished away. Before moving forward, one must accept the present.
Accepting the situation, even when it is painful and far from ideal, is the first step toward cultivating new hope. This kind of hope, adjusted to the realities of life, acknowledges the chaos and unpredictability inherent to existence. Yet redefining this new reality can be a painful process.
"Hope Is Not Optimism"
As the famous Czech human rights advocate Václav Havel once said, “Hope is not optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
Perhaps, politically speaking, it is this form of hope that has kept the Kurdish people on their feet for centuries, despite overwhelming adversity.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan is a psychologist, author and publisher, expert in psychotraumatology, trauma, terror and war, transcultural psychiatry, psychotherapy and migration.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
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