--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a…" description: "\"Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a temperament we're born with. It is a stance toward life that we can choose...not not. The real question for me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48f/frances-moore-lapp-4271_born_hope-is-not-wishful-thinking-it-s-not-a_666526.jpg" --- # Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a temperament we're… ![“Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a temperament we're born with. It is a stance toward life that we can choose...not not. The real question for me, though, is whether m hope is effective, whether it produces or is just where I hide to ease my own pain.” quote by Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48f/frances-moore-lapp-4271_born_hope-is-not-wishful-thinking-it-s-not-a_666526.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48f/frances-moore-lapp-4271_born_hope-is-not-wishful-thinking-it-s-not-a_666526.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48f/frances-moore-lapp-4271_born_hope-is-not-wishful-thinking-it-s-not-a_666526.jpg) > “Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a temperament we're born with. It is a stance toward life that we can choose...not not. The real question for me, though, is whether m hope is effective, whether it produces or is just where I hide to ease my own pain.” [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hope is a deliberate attitude, not a passive feeling; its value lies in its effectiveness, not just comfort. **In simple terms:** Hope is a chosen stance, not a born trait. Key Takeaway Choose hope that drives action, not just eases pain. Themes hope mindset effectiveness Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - mental health - social activism - overcoming adversity Key Concepts agency psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you test if your hope leads to action? - When does hope become avoidance? A Different Perspective Hope can become escapism if not paired with concrete steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-effective-915819/) [Hope Wishful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-wishful-2795304/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Question Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-hope-614824/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Stance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stance/) [Temperament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temperament/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wishful thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishful-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Hope is much more than wishful thinking. Hope is a way of moving through the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-musk/hope-is-much-more-than-wishful-thinking-hope-is-a-way-of-moving/) [Justine Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-musk/) > [For me hope isn't wishful thinking or blind faith about the future. It's a stance toward life - one of curiosity and humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/for-me-hope-isn-t-wishful-thinking-or-blind-faith-about-the-future-it/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is just fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ludlum/hope-is-the-only-thing-stronger-than-fear-a-little-hope-is-effective/) [Robert Ludlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ludlum/) > [Real hope is much more than wishful musing. It stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/real-hope-is-much-more-than-wishful-musing-it-stiffens-not-slackens/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Hope, it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/hope-it-is-the-only-thing-stronger-than-fear-a-little-hope-is/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Turn wishful thinking into positive action. Those who take a proactive stance in their lives tend to have an ample supply of joy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-saban/turn-wishful-thinking-into-positive-action-those-who-take-a-proactive/) [Cheryl Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-saban/) > [“To whom can I put this question (with any hope of an answer)? Does being able to live without someone you loved mean you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/to-whom-can-i-put-this-question-with-any-hope-of-an-answer-does-being/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Evil does not question itself. Only Hope questions itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/evil-does-not-question-itself-only-hope-questions-itself/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [The question was put to him, what hope is; and his answer was, "The dream of a waking man."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/the-question-was-put-to-him-what-hope-is-and-his-answer-was-the-dream/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [Everywhere I go I find that people... both leaders and individuals... are asking one basic question, 'Is there any hope for the future?' My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/everywhere-i-go-i-find-that-people-both-leaders-and-individuals-are/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [In relation to the question of hope, I think the only hope we have is hope against hope. We hope for a better world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-critchley/in-relation-to-the-question-of-hope-i-think-the-only-hope-we-have-is/) [Simon Critchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-critchley/) > [Sixty-four thousand dollars for a question, I hope they are asking you the meaning of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/sixty-four-thousand-dollars-for-a-question-i-hope-they-are-asking-you/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [“One spiritual writer has observed that human beings are born with two diseases: life, from which we die; and hope, which says the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/one-spiritual-writer-has-observed-that-human-beings-are-born-with-two/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean was all smiles, well smirks, after picking up the endorsement of former Vice President Al Gore at a rally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/former-vermont-governor-howard-dean-was-all-smiles-well-smirks-after/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Hope is a stance, not an assessment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/hope-is-a-stance-not-an-assessment/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) ## More by Frances Moore Lappé > [Hunger is a people-made phenomenon, so the central issue is power: the power of those who make the decisions about what is grown and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/hunger-is-a-people-made-phenomenon-so-the-central-issue-is-power-the/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [Beauty exists irrespective of financial circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/beauty-exists-irrespective-of-financial-circumstances/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [What is different and exciting is how much we have learned. We learned we were right that we don't need the chemical model of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/what-is-different-and-exciting-is-how-much-we-have-learned-we-learned/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [We hear, "Oh, we need to patent GMOs and develop new strains and new chemicals because Nature can't provide what we need." I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/we-hear-oh-we-need-to-patent-gmos-and-develop-new-strains-and-new/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [The good life may mean doing some things that do not feel comfortable. It may mean sitting long hours just with yourself as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/the-good-life-may-mean-doing-some-things-that-do-not-feel-comfortable/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [That's what happened when my own life crumbled. The people who came into my life bolstered me to take more risks, to be even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/that-s-what-happened-when-my-own-life-crumbled-the-people-who-came/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [If we cannot know what's possible, then we are free to do that which is pulling our hearts and that which is life serving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/if-we-cannot-know-what-s-possible-then-we-are-free-to-do-that-which/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [ I never like to use those terms \[like pessimistic\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/i-never-like-to-use-those-terms-like-pessimistic/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [My path has not been smooth. But the great thing about getting to be an elder is that you can look back and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/my-path-has-not-been-smooth-but-the-great-thing-about-getting-to-be/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [Old models of farming with chemicals and credit mostly favored privileged men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/old-models-of-farming-with-chemicals-and-credit-mostly-favored/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [What an extraordinary time to be alive. We're the first people on our planet to have real choice: we can continue killing each other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/what-an-extraordinary-time-to-be-alive-we-re-the-first-people-on-our/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [Honest hope has an edge. It's messy. It requires that we let go of all pat answers, all preconceived formulas, all confidence that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/honest-hope-has-an-edge-it-s-messy-it-requires-that-we-let-go-of-all/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [Because we are living in a culture increasingly dominated by fear where many feel blocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/because-we-are-living-in-a-culture-increasingly-dominated-by-fear/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [What we see today is a world movement represented by the World Social Forum, involving all sorts of interactions across cultures, not to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/what-we-see-today-is-a-world-movement-represented-by-the-world-social/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [The problem is that our whole tribe - if you will, the larger community of humanity itself - is on a death march ecologically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/the-problem-is-that-our-whole-tribe-if-you-will-the-larger-community/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) [Explore all 113 Frances Moore Lappé quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. 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