---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we have every reason to hope for…"
description: "\"I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.\" — Van Jones"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png"
---

#  I think we have every reason to hope for the best but…

![“I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.” quote by Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png)

> “I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.”

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Hope inspires optimism; preparing for worst safeguards against disappointment.

**In simple terms:** Hope with preparedness balances optimism and realism.

Key Takeaway

Maintain hope while planning for setbacks.

Themes

hope preparedness resilience

Mood

optimistic pragmatic

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- personal planning
- disaster preparedness
- mental health

Key Concepts

optimism risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “best” look like for you?
- How do you prepare for worst‑case scenarios?

A Different Perspective

Excessive pessimism can erode hope.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hope for the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-for-the-best/) [Hoping for the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoping-for-the-best/) [Prepare for the worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepare-for-the-worst/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Lets hope for the best, but still expect and prepare for the worst¦](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pob-bismark/lets-hope-for-the-best-but-still-expect-and-prepare-for-the-worst/)

POB Bismark

> [“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and expect the impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-whatley/prepare-for-the-worst-hope-for-the-best-and-expect-the-impossible/)

Lara Whatley

> [“In this life you've got to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/in-this-life-you-ve-got-to-hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst/)

[Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/)

> [hope for the best, prepare for the worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bradford/hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst/)

[Chris Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bradford/)

> [Hope for the best but prepare for the worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-for-the-best-but-prepare-for-the-worst/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you prepare for the worst but hope for the best, you will rarely be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-prepare-for-the-worst-but-hope-for-the-best-you-will-rarely-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best; never disappointed, often impressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prepare-for-the-worst-hope-for-the-best-never-disappointed-often/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-prepare-for-the-worst-but-hope-for-the-best/)

[Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/)

> [In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/in-this-world-you-ve-just-got-to-hope-for-the-best-and-prepare-for/)

[Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/)

> [“Hope for the best," I said. "Prepare for the worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-christo/hope-for-the-best-i-said-prepare-for-the-worst/)

[Rose Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-christo/)

> [Nobody is aware of what future holds, to take the advantage of uncertainty is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/nobody-is-aware-of-what-future-holds-to-take-the-advantage-of/)

[Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/)

> [I have been able to hope for the best, expect the worst, and take what comes along. If there has been one fundamental reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sarazen/i-have-been-able-to-hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst-and-take-what/)

[Gene Sarazen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sarazen/)

> [“Hope for the best and expect the worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ross-symposium/hope-for-the-best-and-expect-the-worst/)

Jerry Ross Symposium

> [Hope for the best, expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst/)

[Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/)

> [Hope for the best, expect the worst and you will be less shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst-and-you-will-be-less-shocked/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Van Jones

> [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [ I learned more in those six months \[ in the White House\] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-learned-more-in-those-six-months-in-the-white-house-than-in-the/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [ \[Donald Trump\] is a horrible human being, but he ain't worse than Bull Connor. Fannie Lou loved Bull Connor and beat Bull Connor because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/donald-trump-is-a-horrible-human-being-but-he-ain-t-worse-than-bull/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Keith Ellison is an organizer's organizer.He's one of the only Muslims in Congress, so you have a big statement there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/keith-ellison-is-an-organizer-s-organizer-he-s-one-of-the-only/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/everybody-should-be-mad-but-anger-only-takes-you-so-far-at-some-point/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [We have to accept that some very toxic stuff was marbled into the Trump phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-have-to-accept-that-some-very-toxic-stuff-was-marbled-into-the/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [I'm the guy that's trying to break up that monopoly to introduce free enterprise and competition to the energy sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-the-guy-that-s-trying-to-break-up-that-monopoly-to-introduce-free/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [I think that America could not become America until it dealt with the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans in the last century. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-that-america-could-not-become-america-until-it-dealt-with-the/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [I'm learning and changing all the time, and I expect to continue doing so my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-learning-and-changing-all-the-time-and-i-expect-to-continue-doing/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

[Explore all 314 Van Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

## More Hope quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/)

[Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/)

> [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/)

[Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/)

> [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/)

[Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/)

[Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/)

> [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/)

> [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Pray, hope, don't worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-don-t-worry/)

[Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/)

> [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/)

[Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/)

> [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/)

Simone Abou Samra

> [Im really happy that I met you I hope you know that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/im-really-happy-that-i-met-you-i-hope-you-know-that/)

Im Nothing

> [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

[Browse all 24,868 Hope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Van Jones"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for-the-best-but-expect-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hope"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for-the-best-but-expect-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/van-jones-984_hope_i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for_2518845.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think we have every reason to hope for the best but expect and prepare for the worst.” — Van Jones",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Van Jones",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think we have every reason...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for-the-best-but-expect-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-we-have-every-reason-to-hope-for-the-best-but-expect-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
