Let's Define Radical Hope
Let's Define Things
I find that so much miscommunication comes from a simple difference of definitions of terms. So, let's define things.
The Free Dictionary defines Hope as:
A feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfillment
I like this definition. The key aspect of hope is this idea of 'considers possible'. Hope is believing that no matter how things look, they can still get better.
The Free Dictionary defines Radical as:
- Arising from or going to a root or source
- Departing markedly from the usual or customary
- Relating to or advocating fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions
- Medicine: Relating to or being surgery that is extreme or drastic in an effort to eradicate all existing or potential disease
And here we come up against the greatest strength and weakness of language. All of those definitions are bloody brilliant when paired with hope.
While I would like to just leave it at this and let you slot in any definition for radical with hope, succinct definitions are still helpful. So...
Radical Hope: wishfulness for, and belief in the possibility of change, in the core of a system, for the better that defies the norm so thoroughly that it cannot be ignored.
English is still English, but 99% of the time, that is what I mean when I speak of Radical Hope. That is what I want to permeate though all of my work. That is who I want to be.