The Art of Living: Hope

By Reid Bissen, Obl.S.B.

Final part of a series of reflections on The Art of Living by Dietrich von Hildebrand.

This article was originally published in our May 2025 Kansas Monks newsletter. Read the whole newsletter at www.kansasmonks.org/newsletter/may2025

Hope and despair conclude our review of the Hildebrands’ The Art of Living. The heart of the matter, however, is the reason we may have to hope or despair, which depends on how we see death, and what we expect out of life.

Death is an increasingly abstract concept in our culture. Like in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, death is hidden from us and euphemized to the point that the thought that I will die is a separate consideration from the fact that people die generally. The resulting attitude is a denial of anything transcendent, beyond death. The highest good becomes whatever I can derive the most pleasure from, and I must avoid pain at all costs. There is no hope for anything better than passing from one fleeting pleasure to the next.

This is a common attitude in contemporary society, but also one that comes in more subtle forms. How often do we come to prayer expecting our daily shot of dopamine? Is this not a sort of spiritual despair, that there is nothing greater worth living for than the consolations that come in prayer? Prayer is a transcendent experience; the consolations that come from prayer are not. Otherwise, I will only pray when I feel like it, and if prayer ceases to be pleasurable, then I would stop praying. We all have dry seasons in prayer, these are given by God for us to show Him that we love Him for who He is, and not on the condition that He makes us feel a certain way.

Our responses to the realization we are in despair can vary. One is to break the cycle of pleasure-seeking, and detox. This requires taking a risk that it will be worthwhile, that we will find something greater than pleasure. Following through on the risk will demand discipline, but most of all it will ask us to love Christ above all else. This is the only adequate reason to truly break the cycle.

Not everyone in this state is aware of it. We may notice others (or ourselves) leaning heavy on a crutch of pleasures, and bring attention to the despair they are in. This is dangerous if we fail to simultaneously provide an alternative. Never remind someone that they will eventually die, and pleasures are all vain without also reminding them that there is hope for complete fulfilment in God. Without redirecting others to Christ, the news that pleasures will not satisfy will only lead to deeper despair.

Another faulty response involves pride. We can acknowledge that there is more to life than pleasure, and at the same time think that it is “too late” to change. Or, we can say that if we tried to change, God would not accept us, so it’s better to not try. This is a denial of God’s omnipotence- it denies that God is in control, determines reality, the future, and what is possible. Saying “it’s too late for me” is to deify oneself.

Some, who are aware of their despair and know that there is a way out, choose to stay where they are. If you are anything like me, being offered help can sometimes be taken as an insult. We would prefer to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps so as not to be seen as weak. We would prefer to keep struggling on our own, in case somehow, we can break free without God’s help. Then, we can show him just how strong we are, how we did it without him; and He will say “I never knew you” (Matt. 7:23).

To break free of despair, we must embrace true hope. True hope is not optimism nor wishful thinking.

To break free of despair, we must embrace true hope. True hope is not optimism nor wishful thinking.

Hope recognizes that a given situation is as dire as it seems and turns to Another for a creative solution. Wishful thinking and optimism can be just as limp and atheistic as despair. ‘Even the pagans’ can have a positive attitude and just assume that everything will work itself out. These are not Christian gestures. It is easy to confuse hope with optimism or wishful thinking when we mistake it for something impersonal. Optimism and wishful thinking do not involve reliance on another person. Hope does. Every “hope that” implies a “hope in”. A hope in Another; a hope in God. When we utter the words “I hope that…” we must direct our words upwards to Someone in order for them to be truly hopeful.

Does this mean that once we have made a formulaic act of hope, we can sit back and wait for the results? Of course not. God asks for our collaboration in bringing about good in our lives so that He can be involved in our lives. He doesn’t want us to treat Him like a genie, which will lead us right back into despair. Actively working to bring about change in our lives, to break despair, is in itself a means of asking for God’s help. When we hope, we should hope with our whole selves, not just in thought. This way, our life will not become fatalistic science, but truly an art.