What gives you hope for the future?

[dashfield]

Let's face it, the world can seem pretty doom and gloom. With climate change, extreme weather, wars, rumours of wars, pandemics, stock shortages, corruption.....the list goes on, sometimes it can all seem a bit much.

I realise it has ever been thus and we live in very good times compared to other points in history, but when you look at the news it's easy to feel completely helpless to make any difference to these world ending problems.

But we all carry on and I guess it's hope for something better that keeps us going.

So what gives you hope in the future? How do you rise above the doom and gloom and focus on the good stuff?

[Davidd]

It’s a cliche but I try not to dwell too much on the things i’ve no control over, though i still cannot help myself when certain lying, corrupt people appear on the tele!
I appreciate my wife, kids, family and friends. Absolutely love the fact that the kids are getting on with their lives and that they are heading off into ridiculously exciting directions that i couldn’t have thought about at their ages.
Simple things, going for meals with my wife, actually now being able to go for walks after a long perod where it wasn’t possible, planning things for the not too distant future.

[Harry Smith]

Future? What future?

[number2]

Future? What future?

+1

[dashfield]

It’s a cliche but I try not to dwell too much on the things i’ve no control over

I need to keep remembering this. Easier said than done sometimes. My wife doesn’t keep very close to current affairs and whilst it means she can’t keep up with every conversation, she seems happier because of it.

I think there’s a balance to be had. Know what’s going on but don’t get too bogged down by it.


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[markbannister]

Everything.

[GraniteQuarry]

As much as I think the world is generally a cesspit of myopic self-serving brain-dead f**kwits... seeing the positivity of my young son and his mates gives me hope there is good in the world, and that it'll all be okay.

I think Whitney sang something along these lines!

[Brian]

Laughter !!!



B

[Ventura]

Only my daughter, niece and nephew.

[AlphaOmega]

I'm not too worried about the human race.

Barring a local supernova or a large meteorite strike, we'll be fine. Even if we're not, Earth will be fine and perhaps there will be enough Sun left for another species to take over.

On a personal level, I think hope is not the strongest of emotions. It seems a little passive to me.

I prefer to aim at a goal and pursue it. What helps me? Focusing on that goal.

[Neil.C]

My Grandsons.

Regarding all the doom and gloom merchants on here, I always think what must it have been like during the blitz in London, sleeping in the underground, as my Mum did and coming home in the morning with your house gone.

People were definitely made of sterner stuff in the past.

[dashfield]

Regarding all the doom and gloom merchants on here, I always think what must it have been like during the blitz in London, sleeping in the underground, as my Mum did and coming home in the morning with your house gone.

People were definitely made of sterner stuff in the past.

I often think of this too and how awful that time must have been. And also how that still goes on in the world to some extent.

I realise we’re very lucky in many respects.


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[Jega]

The past, regardless of what is tragedys, catastrophes we have faced both as individuals,as a nation or as a species we always come through it.

[Bluemoon7]

Dogs….

[Theboydonald]

Watching how much less bigoted and homophobic and much more aware of the world around them that my 15yo and his mates are than my generation ever was.

[monogroover]

I've been quite buoyed by the way things have gone over the last few years .. for me it's a hopeful time already.

[Itsguy]

The human mind is programmed to perceive the world as hugely in need of improvement, almost all of the time. So it's best to decide to feel happy while you're working on it, and not once you've finished the improvements, as that time will never come. Unfortunately simply deciding to feel happy then doing sod all doesn't work so well, your mind will start to panic about imminent starvation, so it's better to feel happy but also get on with working towards something positive.

I feel hopeful because we're coming out of a terrible period of political strife, followed by a once in a century global pandemic. If that doesn't earn us a decent rebound decade with few parties, I don't know what does. Look at the post-war period - fun decades we still talk about. Time for the decadent 2020s.

I'm also excited by technology. In my lifetime, we've gone from a dial up landline and a fuzzy television set to the internet, and 3D IMAX movies that look like giant holograms. The phone in my pocket would have seemed like science fiction twenty years ago. I can now talk to my lightbulbs. People are seriously talking about going to Mars. AI is just starting to revolutionise all kinds of fields. What next, given another decade or two? This is an extraordinary period of history.

And what will your own future look like? Fortunately you get to decide, it doesn't just happen to you. Picture something good and then do something about it!

[TheFlyingBanana]

Star Trek.

[redsox78]

I often think of this too and how awful that time must have been. And also how that still goes on in the world to some extent.

I realise we’re very lucky in many respects.


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There is massive evidence that people faced with the blitz suffered huge levels of depression, PTSD and suicide. It was just not reported or understood and it was hidden. There is no evidence that people coped better in the past. And the argument people coped better also ignores that the political-economic decisions made to fight the war, and in the postwar period led to the greatest economic expansion in this nations (and global) history. In the UK, this was largely because politicians and the press never responded to what society needed with “who is going to pay off the credit card?! Economic nonsense.

ANYWAY. What I am hopeful for? Not much, but mainly that young people, who will have the real consequences to face, increasingly don’t care what my generation and those above them think. And nor should they. The future is theirs, no ours, and I have faith they can do their best.

[dashfield]

Thanks guys - lots of good points.

I often listen to a short Ted Talk when I go on my lunch break walk and there some really exciting technological advances in climate, energy and healthcare. These often give me hope for the future.


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[spuds]

Watching how much less bigoted and homophobic and much more aware of the world around them that my 15yo and his mates are than my generation ever was.

This (although my three offspring are older), seeing that they have all learned from my mistakes, and that they are all far better human beings than I am….
and that I’m going to be a Grandad next year.

[The Doc]

Watching less News (Eg read BBC headlines every 3 days max)
Not having Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat or Tiktok.
Living and immersing myself in my community, my neighbour (only got one), the people in the village shop, the mechanic at the local garage, my mate who's a local policeman, etc etc
Moving out of the city, to the sticks
Living to my personal gratification and goals, not rating myself against others.

Getting the heck out of this modern digital rat race.

I'm very happy. My kids are too. We camp, we hunt, we cook fresh food, they play outdoors until the sun goes away.

I treated a local farmer recently and he got better after a fairly massive knee dislocation. He came round to my house (he lives and farms two villages away) and gave me about 30kg of meat as a thank you.

Reset your priorities

[dashfield]

Watching less News (Eg read BBC headlines every 3 days max)
Not having Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat or Tiktok.
Living and immersing myself in my community, my neighbour (only got one), the people in the village shop, the mechanic at the local garage, my mate who's a local policeman, etc etc
Moving out of the city, to the sticks
Living to my personal gratification and goals, not rating myself against others.

Getting the heck out of this modern digital rat race.

I'm very happy. My kids are too. We camp, we hunt, we cook fresh food, they play outdoors until the sun goes away.

I treated a local farmer recently and he got better after a fairly massive knee dislocation. He came round to my house (he lives and farms two villages away) and gave me about 30kg of meat as a thank you.

Reset your priorities

Lovely to hear and a good reminder that happiness lies in people not things.


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[Mr Curta]

Guacamole

[33JS]

Avoid the bbc news completely and life takes on a much rosier glow!

[thieuster]

Watching less News (Eg read BBC headlines every 3 days max)
Not having Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat or Tiktok.
Living and immersing myself in my community, my neighbour (only got one), the people in the village shop, the mechanic at the local garage, my mate who's a local policeman, etc etc
Moving out of the city, to the sticks
Living to my personal gratification and goals, not rating myself against others.

Getting the heck out of this modern digital rat race.

I'm very happy. My kids are too. We camp, we hunt, we cook fresh food, they play outdoors until the sun goes away.

I treated a local farmer recently and he got better after a fairly massive knee dislocation. He came round to my house (he lives and farms two villages away) and gave me about 30kg of meat as a thank you.

Reset your priorities

^^^ This, without the medical part... ^^^

I live 'rural' as well. Funny thing is that there's more going on than in the town where I used to live. Has to do with the fact that most people here live 'from the land' i.e. their work is where they live. Pigs escaped from their pen? One what'sApp call and everybody comes to help catching the pigs. Deer hurt due to a road-accident? Two foresters/park rangers from the Royal Grounds come over with a sedation gun, a normal rifle and two dogs to help searching for the deer.

People are so nice and helpful!

I live here since last November. I've learned how to cut down trees, how to drive a big @ss tractor (*Didn't make Jeremy Clarkson's mistake...) and how to spot badgers and foxes. I bought a Rottweiler - my best mate, my wife bought a Maine Coon to get rid of mice and we're totally happy here.

And it's so quiet!

Apart from that: my boys are doing great; on on the Uni, living with 3 other students in a large home, the other going to the Uni next year. He was looking for 'what uni' today and he phoned me telling me that he'd 'covered lots of ground' deciding what to do on the uni.

Sounds good

[notnowkato]

Waking up each morning ....

[bry nylon]

What gives me hope for the future?

Not much really.. I get a bit depressed/despondent about climate change and all the animal species that are on the endangered list. I can't watch any nature programmes as the creatures are always under pressure of habitat destruction or threatened in some way.

Then I get fed up about the state were in and what's to come and how things will pan out with B****t. Add in the decline of the USA, the ascendency of China - I can't see much that inspires hope.
I think that things have to change for the sake of the planet. Constant growth and consumerism will ruin things for our children's children. I'm sure things will be run differently in the future, but the planet will be well knackered by then..

sorry to bring the mood down!

[bry nylon]

^^^ This, without the medical part... ^^^

I live 'rural' as well. Funny thing is that there's more going on than in the town where I used to live. Has to do with the fact that most people here live 'from the land' i.e. their work is where they live. Pigs escaped from their pen? One what'sApp call and everybody comes to help catching the pigs. Deer hurt due to a road-accident? Two foresters/park rangers from the Royal Grounds come over with a sedation gun, a normal rifle and two dogs to help searching for the deer.

People are so nice and helpful!

I live here since last November. I've learned how to cut down trees, how to drive a big @ss tractor (*Didn't make Jeremy Clarkson's mistake...) and how to spot badgers and foxes. I bought a Rottweiler - my best mate, my wife bought a Maine Coon to get rid of mice and we're totally happy here.

And it's so quiet!

Apart from that: my boys are doing great; on on the Uni, living with 3 other students in a large home, the other going to the Uni next year. He was looking for 'what uni' today and he phoned me telling me that he'd 'covered lots of ground' deciding what to do on the uni.

Sounds good

Do your Rotty and Maine Coon get on? hope so :)

[gerrudd]

History.

I've managed to survive.

The Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction.
AIDS
The hole in the Ozone Layer.
Acid Rain
To name but a few, plus any number of other emergencies and catastrophes, so I'm pretty confident we will find a way through the current challenges.

[Andyg]

Knowing that it’s not the dark ages, it’s not 1915 on the Somme, that the 3rd Reich is consigned to the history books, that we no longer have conscription, that the nuclear clock hasn’t wound completely down, that generally the world’s living standards are improving, along with education and health care.

Things could be so much worse and hopefully will become so much better.

Onwards and upwards.

[sprite1275]

F all. Just watched TOTP 1991 on bbc4 and your not going to get better than the 90s.

[Kingstepper]

What gives me hope for the future?

Not much really.. I get a bit depressed/despondent about climate change and all the animal species that are on the endangered list. I can't watch any nature programmes as the creatures are always under pressure of habitat destruction or threatened in some way.

Then I get fed up about the state were in and what's to come and how things will pan out with B****t. Add in the decline of the USA, the ascendency of China - I can't see much that inspires hope.
I think that things have to change for the sake of the planet. Constant growth and consumerism will ruin things for our children's children. I'm sure things will be run differently in the future, but the planet will be well knackered by then..

sorry to bring the mood down!

Tend to agree.

Rather like entropy always increasing, things always get worse. (My Forth Law of Thermodynamics.)

[vulcangascompany]

The answer has to be about the youth! I work with loads of people in their 20s and contrary to press reports they're great - in some ways much more thoughtful and respectful to all elements of society than my generation. Intelligent, hard working and well balanced - sensible during covid times. We'll be alright, there's good talent around and coming up to take our jobs haha..

[oldoakknives]

Watching how much less bigoted and homophobic and much more aware of the world around them that my 15yo and his mates are than my generation ever was.

I wish that were true across the world, but I see exactly the opposite on the rise in many countries.

I think the liberal advances we have enjoyed in the west, are under threat. I hope the next generation realise what they stand to lose if they don’t take care of them.

Like you, seeing young people who care about others (and also those who care about animals) gives me most hope for the future.

[pacifichrono]

What gives you hope for the future?




The vision and commitment of the next generation.

[murkeywaters]

F all. Just watched TOTP 1991 on bbc4 and your not going to get better than the 90s.

I loved the 90's but then I was single, partying several times a week to great music, internet was a joke, social media had no influence as it was not even thought of, phones were not smart and the cars were instant classics..

What gives me hope - a DeLorean a Flux capacitor and 1.21 gigawatts of power..

[julian2002]

2nd May 2024 :D a small hope and it's a way off but it's inevitable.

[MartynJC (UK)]

Plastic bags. And Homo Sapiens well on way to extinction - it takes maybe 200y from “discovery” of electricity to total wipeout, or evolve off the physical level - anyones guess really.

[GraniteQuarry]

Lifelike sex robots!

[Kingstepper]

Lifelike sex robots!

Will make us redundant.

[Halitosis]

My kids and most of today's teenagers, who unlike my generation at their age rarely smoke, drink considerably less, exercise far more, are less bigoted and more worldly-wise.

From a different angle, I gain perspective from "big-picture" books, TV and films - things like Professor Brian Cox, and the awesome movie "The Farthest" - which brings home how tiny and insignificant we actually are. The human race will die someday, as will planet Earth, the Sun, and everything else so I try not to get wound up by sensationalist media and new stories that are usually a far lesser issue than they claim anyway.

And diet pills