Agency Quote by Derrick Jensen
“But what, precisely, is hope? At a talk I gave last spring, someone asked me to define it. I turned the question back on the audience, and here’s the definition we all came up with: hope is a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency; it means you are essentially powerless.”
About This Quote
Hope is defined as longing for a future we cannot control, implying powerlessness.
In simple terms: Hope as powerless longing.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty, find agency.
Themes
philosophy
hope
agency
Mood
thoughtful
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal goals
- social movements
- mental health coping
- creative projects
Key Concepts
existential
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Can hope exist without agency?
- How do you find meaning in powerless longing?
A Different Perspective
Hope can also inspire action despite uncertainty.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
