How do you differentiate hope from optimism? Why is hope essential in human relationships?

Question

 How do you differentiate hope from optimism? Why is hope essential in human relationships? Use the Marcel’s philosophy. Provide relevant examples.

Answer 1

Optimism, unlike hope, finds much of its energy in our personality, whereas hope is based on some view of the ultimate issue of life. So, you can be a very hope-filled person and also be pessimistic. You know the joke about the fatalist. He fell down the stipes and immediately said "Well, I'm glad I got that over with!"

Is the world black against white (bad things happen but ultimately all will be well) or is it white against black?

Gabriel Marcel loathed highly abstract answers to the big questions. And from his work during the war and his hard personal life he was under no delusions about evil.

I would say that the best quote that shows his hope : [ speaking of a loved one ] 'Thou, at least, thou shall not die.'”. This is like Jesus' "God is a God of the living and not of the dead"