Books Quote by Alan Jacobs
““In a lovely book called On Hope, Josef Pieper explores Thomas Aquinas' theology of hope along these lines: the hopeful person is by definition a wayfarer (viator), because the virtue of hope lies midway between the two vices of despair (desperatio) and presumption (praesumptio). What despairing persons and presumptuous persons have in common is that they aren't going anywhere, they are fixed in place: the despairing because they don't think there's anywhere to go, the presumptuous because they think they have reached the pinnacle of achievement.””
About This Quote
Source Book: On Hope by Josef Pieper, 2005
Hope positions a person between despair and presumption, encouraging forward movement rather than stagnation.
In simple terms: Hope keeps us moving forward.
Key Takeaway
Embrace hope to avoid stagnation.
Themes
hope
virtue
balance
Mood
reflective
encouraging
Type
inspirational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- spiritual practice
- personal development
- decision making
Key Concepts
theology
philosophy
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What keeps you hopeful?
- How do you avoid despair or presumption?
A Different Perspective
Hope can be fragile and challenged by reality.
