I have become hopeless

The ancient Greeks debated that hope was a type of hubris (you have the odds and the gods against you, but you do it anyway). One could say that the alternative to hope is despair, but we forget that Nietzsche pointed out: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

Nietzsche’s “why” can increase the odds, instead of putting your faith in hope (and luck), that something unexpected could happen.

Pandora’s box

Pandora’s box contained many evils, such as war, sickness and death, which was let out, when the box was opened. Hope was the last thing in the box. People think that hope was what saved us from the released evils – a noble thought, but unfortunately not true.

Hope can’t get out of the box, because “Hope” does nothing except hoping that somebody or something will take it out and release it into the world.

Hope was the last and the worst of the evils. It is the only evil that could (and still can) kill Prometheus and put out the fire he had stolen from the gods.

Who was Prometheus

Prometheus was the Titan (in Greek mythos) that stole the fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Before Prometheus stole the fire, the humans were cold, starving, weak and miserable. After the humans got fire, they became warm, strong and great.

Prometheus name means “forethought” or “to think what can happen” – which is pretty useful. Can you predict something, then you can prepare for it.

“Forethought” started the fire within us, that enabled us to postpone our desires and prepare for challenges (like harsher winters, longer drought, etc.).

How could hope kill Prometheus?

With hope you don’t need to predict. You just hope everything will be fine.

With hope you don’t need to prepare. You just hope everything will go well.

With hope, you don’t need to do anything. You just hope someone else will do it.

With hope, you don’t need forethought.

Without forethought, we would be left with Prometheus twin brother Epimetheus. His name means “hindsight” or “to think what could have happened but never will” – which is very useless, but also sad.

I have become hopeless

Without hope – it is up to me to predict, prepare and do.

Without hope – it is up to me to get the gods on my side.

Without hope – it is up to me to increase the odds.

Without hope – it is up to me.

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You can follow Prometheus or let Epimetheus breathe down your neck.