This article was originally published in Fayette County Record.
If you are a regular consumer of news, you may have seen a headline or read an article about the decline of hope in our country. According to a recent study by Archbridge Institute’s Human Flourishing Lab, only 56% of Americans are hopeful for the future of the United States. There are multiple reasons why hopefulness is in decline. There is a mental health crisis among young people. People are concerned about the instability surrounding the economy. Trust in institutions is at an alltime low. These factors and more have led to the hopelessness we are now witnessing.
Why would an institute known as the “Human Flourishing Lab” be conducting a study on hope? Because hope is essential to human flourishing as well as healthy communities. According to Dr. Alfred P. Stern, a professor at Harvard Medical School, “hope is linked with health, quality of life, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose.” Hope is an essential component of life. Without it, communities fall apart and our lives lack purpose and meaning. Without hope, depression and suicide rates increase. Institutes study hope because it is an indicator of where we are at as a nation and where we are heading.
