Hope triggers other positive emotions!

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan, a faculty member of the Department of Psychology, emphasized the critical importance of hope in human life, stating, “We need hope because the cost of hopelessness is very high. Hopelessness is a spiritual suicide; it is psychological death, it blinds people.” Stating that a brain attuned to hopelessness believes that effort is futile, nothing will change, current difficulties will be permanent, and the future is blurry and uncertain, Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan added, “Hope triggers other positive emotions. When you are hopeful and optimistic, other positive emotions such as happiness, joy, delight, and courage are also activated.”

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan, a faculty member of the Üsküdar Üniversitesi Department of Psychology, emphasized the critical importance of hope in human life.

Hopelessness is a spiritual suicide; it is psychological death!

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan stated that hope is an active dedication and an existential source of energy, saying, “I believe that to reveal our need for hope, we must first understand hopelessness. Because, like happiness, hope is a concept whose value is better understood in its absence. Those who truly experience hopelessness know that it is a very heavy burden for all of us to carry. We need hope because the cost of hopelessness is very high. Hopelessness is a spiritual suicide; it is psychological death; it blinds people; it means giving up on oneself and everything that connects one to life.”

A brain attuned to hopelessness believes the future is uncertain

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan stated that an individual in a state of hopelessness believes that effort is futile and nothing will change, and continued:

“A brain attuned to hopelessness believes that effort is futile, nothing will change, current difficulties will be permanent, and the future is blurry and uncertain. In a way, hopelessness is mortgaging the future. Being in a preconceived notion that current adversities will never change pushes the individual into inaction. As a result, hopeless individuals may experience helplessness, loss of will to live, reduced verbal and behavioral expressions, passivity, impaired comprehension, reduced abilities in problem-solving, decision-making, imagining, and desiring, loss of courage, feeling at the end of the road, tension and irritability, pessimism, and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure from anything). This state of mind naturally invites depression and suicide.”

Hopelessness, like a canary in a coal mine…

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan noted that hopelessness can be a harbinger of depression, like a canary in a coal mine, stating, “Canaries are kept in cages in mines, and if there is a gas leak, the canary detects it earlier and chirps. Miners then try to exit the mine as quickly as possible. Similarly, hopelessness is a harbinger of depression, and action should be taken as soon as symptoms appear. Otherwise, hopelessness will gradually establish itself.”

Hope and psychological resilience!

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan, stating that hopelessness is a heavy burden to carry, continued:
“Because it virtually cripples a person. Why do we need hope? Hopelessness is a heavy burden for all of us and brings many difficulties. We need hope because hope strengthens us to overcome difficult times with patience. In our research, we observed that hope is one of the most important determinants of psychological resilience. Individuals with high levels of hope can recover more quickly after negative events or traumatic experiences. Human life, as much as it is full of beauty, is also full of pain, trouble, sorrow, and difficulties. We need hope to resist these adversities.”

Hope triggers other positive emotions

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan noted that hope is needed because it is one of the leading determinants of happiness, stating, “Hope triggers other positive emotions. When you are hopeful and optimistic, other positive emotions such as happiness, joy, delight, and courage are also activated. The value of experiencing positive emotions frequently is great. According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, put forth by Barbara Fredrickson, known for her significant work in positive psychology, frequently experiencing positive emotions expands people's thought-action repertoires, undoes the effects of negative emotions, and increases happiness. According to this model, positive emotions broaden the scope of attention and cognition, enable flexible and creative thinking, and build lasting coping resources. Thus, individuals can develop long-term plans, think of different ways to cope with problems, and build lasting psychological resources.”

Hope increases productivity and creativity beyond mental health

Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan stated that beyond mental health, hope increases productivity and creativity in professional life and positively affects students' academic success in school life, saying, “Individuals with high levels of hope exhibit healthy behaviors more frequently. Hopeless individuals, however, may believe that exercising or eating healthy will not change anything. Hopeful individuals believe that their health will improve if they eat healthily, exercise, or quit harmful habits, and they are motivated by this belief. In other words, hope is effective in different dimensions of life. The saying ‘Hope kills a man’ is common, but it is hopelessness that is truly fatal.” He concluded.