Our country remains hopeful. Despite many obstacles, we are among those who came here seeking a better life. Preceding us, our ancestors made their hope into reality. Indeed, the Native Americans first built lives here, aware of their partnership with the land they lived on. They respected the bounty of the precious ground on which they flourished before white men arrived.
George Bernard Shaw offered these words in his play “Back to Methuselah.”
I hear you say ‘Why?’ Always ‘Why?’ You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’
We still live in a world of possibilities.
Nonetheless, the American Psychological Association’s 2025 study, Stress in America 2025: A Crisis of Connection, finds significant evidence of loneliness, uncertainty, and worry about the future, including AI.
The APA’s paper also suggests that the toll of our societal division is matched by our resilience. The report states that “while (we are) burdened by stress and uncertainty, (the population) continues to hold fast to hope, agency and a belief in progress — both personal and collective.”
The world of 60 years ago was not so different.
On June 8, 1968, Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy delivered this eulogy for his brother, Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy. You will find the audio and text provided by the John F. Kennedy Library at the link above.
Bobby’s junior brother reminded us of Robert’s belief in who we are and the responsibilities that fall to us. His hopefulness in a 1966 speech applies today:
“Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine our destiny. There is pride in that, even arrogance, but there is also experience and truth. In any event, it is the only way we can live.”
In closing his tribute, Ted Kennedy called to mind his sibling’s love of George Bernard Shaw’s words:
As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:
‘Some men see things as they are and say why.
I dream things that never were and say why not.’
I hope you listen to the eulogy or read it. Prepare to be touched and uplifted.
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The first painting is Gustav Klimt’s Hope II from the Museum of Modern Art. Below is George Frederic Watts’s Hope from the Tate Museum.
How beautiful…the eulogy offered. I appreciated reading it…so encouraging…but listening? Powerful. And stirring. Thank you, Dr. Stein, for including the audio file. ❤️
Thank you, Vicki. I heard the eulogy, or parts of it, soon after they were given. You can also see Ted Kennedy deliver it on YouTube. As you probably noticed from hearing his voice, there were several points at which he was on the verge of breaking down. Somehow that contributed to the message — to persist in spite of everything. Thanks again, my dear.
Absolutely, yes. The quiver in his voice. Very impactful and endearing. Thank you so much for the lovely morning message. ❤️
You are welcome, Vickie.
Thanks for lifting my spirits today, Dr. Stein. The APA’s paper gives me hope that we will get through these dark days and emerge into the light a stronger and more connected people.
You are welcome, Rosaliene. We need hope and the fuel it provides to remake the world. And ourselves, of course. Always.The game is only beginning. Thanks for your encouragement, too, my friend.
The world needs hope right now, Dr. Stein. Thanks for sharing these inspiring and encouraging words from history. We have survived difficult times before. No matter how dark things feel right now, we have to keep the faith.
We all need hope. Tragedies befall us and different peoples around our globe, yet we remain hopeful that better times will come, even if we lose dear ones or suffer other losses. Hope is what keeps us going, for history shows us that life keeps moving forward.
Tragedy comes with a role of the dice and often, simply as we go about our best efforts to make our lives as meaningful as possible. As you say, Tamara,”we all need hope.” Indeed, MLK believed “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Keep the faith.
Wow, those are some incredible statistics. I was shocked by the loneliness and unhealthy behaviors among those with “high loneliness.” The report says that chronic health issues could be a factor, but I wonder how much social media is impacting them. But we definitely need to stay hopeful because the current crisis will pass.
It is shocking and complicated, Edward. If we look at loneliness historically, humans lived nearby and/or close to others, speaking face to face almost for all of human history. If we are to defeat loneliness, we will have to figure out how to get outside the bondage to Zoom screens and working at home. Sometimes hope needs a nudge. Thanks, Edward.
Great point, and I absolutely agree with you. I think sometimes we complicate things a bit. Back in the day, we used to just walk down the street to talk to friends without a lot of planning or preparation. Sometimes, we would make a quick call to ask a friend what he or she was doing and then just drive over to their house for a talk on the front porch. Nowadays, everything needs to be planned with a long list of things to do because God forbid the visit is just to have coffee and talk for 20 minutes. We need to return to simplicity.
Agreed, Edward.