Hope triggers other positive emotions!

Referring to the critical importance of hope in human life, Department of Psychology Prof. Tayfun Doğan stated that "We need hope because the price of hopelessness is very heavy. Despair is a spiritual suicide. It is psychological death, and it blinds people." Stating that a brain tuned to despair believes that striving is unnecessary, that nothing will change, that the troubles experienced will be permanent, and that the future is blurred and uncertain, Prof. Tayfun Doğan expressed that "Hope triggers other positive emotions. When you are hopeful and optimistic, other positive emotions such as happiness, joy, cheer and courage are also activated."

Üsküdar University Department of Psychology Faculty Member Prof. Tayfun Doğan touched on the critical importance of hope in human life.

Despair is a spiritual suicide; It is psychological death!

Stating that hope is an active commitment and a source of existential energy, Prof. Tayfun Doğan expressed that “I believe that we must first understand hopelessness in order to reveal our need for hope. Because, like happiness, hope is a concept whose value is better understood in its absence. Those who have experienced true despair know that this is a very heavy burden for all of us to carry. We need hope because the price of despair is very heavy. Despair is a spiritual suicide, and it is psychological death. It blinds man, and it means giving up oneself and everything that binds it to life."

A brain tuned to despair believes that the future is uncertain

Stating that an individual in a state of despair thinks that striving is unnecessary and that nothing will change, Prof. Tayfun Doğan continued his remarks as follows:

"A brain tuned to despair believes that striving is unnecessary, that nothing will change, that the troubles experienced will be permanent, and that the future is blurred and uncertain. In a way, despair is putting a mortgage on the future. Having a premise that the negativities will never change pushes the individual to inaction. As a result of this situation, situations such as helplessness, loss of will to live, decrease in verbal and behavioral expressions, passivity, deterioration in comprehension, decrease in problem solving, decision-making, imagination and desire abilities, loss of courage, feeling like they are at the end of the road, tension and nervousness, pessimism and anhedonia (not being able to enjoy anything) can be seen in hopeless individuals. This mood naturally invites depression and suicide."

Despair is like a canary in a coal mine

Noting that hopelessness can be a harbinger of depression like a canary in a coal mine, Prof. Tayfun Doğan stated that "Canaries are kept in cages in mines, and when there is a gas jam, the canary notices it earlier and sings. Mine smokers also try to get out of the mine as quickly as possible. Hopelessness is similarly a precursor to depression and should be acted upon as soon as symptoms appear. Otherwise, despair will gradually find its place."

Hope and psychological resilience!

Stating that hopelessness is a heavy burden to carry, Prof. Tayfun Doğan continued his remarks as follows: "Because it cripples people. Why do we need hope? Hopelessness is a heavy burden for all of us and brings with it many troubles. We need hope because hope makes us strong to overcome difficult times with patience. In our research, we have seen that hope is one of the most important determinants of psychological resilience. Individuals with high levels of hope are able to recover more quickly after negative events or traumatic experiences. Human life is full of pain, trouble, grief and difficulties as well as beauty. We need hope to be able to resist these adversities."

Hope triggers other positive emotions

Noting that there is a need for hope because hope is one of the leading determinants of happiness, Prof. Tayfun Doğan stated that "Hope triggers other positive emotions. When you are hopeful and optimistic, other positive emotions such as happiness, joy, cheer and courage are also activated. There is great value in experiencing positive emotions frequently. According to the emotion theory put forward by Barbara Fredrickson, who is known for her important work in the field of positive psychology, experiencing positive emotions frequently expands people's thought-action repertoire, undoes the effects of negative emotions, and increases happiness. According to this model, positive emotions expand the scope of attention and cognition, enable flexible and creative thinking, and create permanent sources of coping. Thus, people can develop long-term plans, think about different ways to deal with problems, and create permanent psychological resources."

Hope boosts productivity and creativity beyond mental health

Stating that hope increases productivity and creativity in business life beyond mental health and positively affects the academic success of students in school life, Prof. Tayfun Doğan concluded his remarks as follows: "Individuals with a high level of hope exhibit healthy behaviors more often. Desperate individuals, on the other hand, may believe that exercising or eating a healthy diet will not change anything. Hopeful individuals believe and are motivated by this belief that their health will improve if they eat healthy, exercise, or quit harmful habits. In other words, hope is also effective in different dimensions of life. The saying 'hope is what kills people' is common, but it is despair that is really deadly."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)