Belief Quote by Barack Obama
“Hope is not blind optimism. It's not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it. Hope is the belief that destiny will not be written for us, but by us, by the men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Hope and agency, 2012
Hope involves active effort, courage, and shaping destiny, not passive optimism.
In simple terms: Hope is active and courageous.
Key Takeaway
Act to create the future you desire.
Themes
hope
agency
courage
Mood
optimistic
determined
Type
inspirational
motivational
When to use this quote
- community projects
- personal goals
- activism
- career planning
Key Concepts
destiny
social change
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions will you take toward your vision?
- How do you sustain hope amid setbacks?
A Different Perspective
Hope can be undermined by cynicism or inaction.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
![“It's good to get fresh legs in [the White house]. I think that it refreshes our democracy.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/732/barack-obama-17_democracy_it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white_17233.jpg)
