Is It Still Possible to 'Be the Change'?

It's overwhelming. It seems like the world is burning and violent conflicts seem unending. Can understanding the true meaning of hope empower us to become agents of change?

Not long after the holidays, I read a post by Nick Cave, frontman to the alt-punk-rock group The Bad Seeds, talking about how he manages to find hope amid despair. Cave, who has suffered the unimaginable loss of two children, said he and his wife allow hope to "inspire us to action." He noted that his answer was informed by the work of Korean-born philosopher Byung-Chul Han's "The Spirit of Hope." Grappling with a bad case of post-holiday and pre-election letdown, I reached for a copy to learn more about what hope really is.

Han, dubbed "the Internet's new favorite philosopher" by The New Yorker, who has published many short, essay-like books on various topics that affect modern life, such as the dangers of internet (it "shields us from reality)," and the decline of storytelling ("For digital platforms, data are more valuable than narratives."), believes that the climate of fear in which we live is responsible for our lost ability to hope.

What if the hoped-for result seems impossible? Maybe it's time to look at hope in a whole new way.

Long ago, I rejected my religious faith. Praying never seemed to lead me toward answers to the questions I asked. I am also guilty of conflating hope and faith. But, after reading Han's slim volume, I now realize that faith is more about belief in something unseen, whereas hope is more than just blind optimism: It is borne from facing challenges.

I've struggled with the loss of parents and friends, a spouse to an unexpected death, and I help an adult child navigate their health care amid the ups and downs of mental illness. By all accounts, I should be hopeless. I'm often anxious and have been treating my depression for years but, I also continue to hope that I'd find solutions to the crises I've faced. Optimism means one doesn't have to bother or act. Not only is hope action-oriented — you can learn to hope.

Okay, it doesn't mean I'm always cheerful, viewing the world through the proverbial 'rose colored glasses.' It does mean that I never stop seeking answers to how to move on from the crises I've lived through. Isn't that why we volunteer, why we continue to be political, why we practice civic engagement? Even if we don't realize it, we are engaging in activities that can create change.

Because older adults have often witnessed significant changes in the world, such as personal losses, health issues or financial difficulties, many of us experience a sense of disillusionment or pessimism about the future. The accumulation of these experiences can sometimes lead to a feeling that things are unlikely to improve.

As a child of the 60s, I'd grown up with the ebb and flow of urban unrest, battles for civil rights, televised foreign wars, mysterious cold wars and more political upheaval than you could shake a stick at. I'd like to think I'm positioned to assure the younger generation that everything will eventually be okay. But will it? Is soothing the sense of unrest that we are all feeling at this moment even possible? 

While not the case for all older adults, the way society and culture portray aging can also play a role. Negative stereotypes about aging can lead to internalized ageism, where older adults start to believe ageist stereotypes about themselves. Additionally, some older adults may feel marginalized or disconnected from the younger generation, leading to a sense of isolation and a lack of hope for the future they will leave behind.

Though Gen Z often seems despondent; mourning for what they think they'll never have, many have discovered that activism in the face of despair may help place society on a path toward solving its problems. The American Psychological Association explains hope as "[involving] well-known psychological concepts, such as goal setting, agency and cognitive restructuring." These are exactly the tools that the young people, with their commitment to activism and engagement, possesses.

Think of Greta Thunberg, now 22, who staked her commitment to climate change activism at the age of 15 and student Naomi Wadler, who in 2018 became the youngest-ever speaker at the March for Our Lives, a student-led organization which demonstrates in support of gun control legislation.Boomers and older generations, who experienced hope and change during and after world wars, need to come to terms with the reality that Gen Zers' commitment is no different, but the issues they focus on are.  

Even with the challenges of coming through a global pandemic, an economic downturn, xenophobia, urban violence, the very real environmental consequences of climate change and our government's complete 360, Gen Zers still appear to welcome diverse ideas and seek empathetic leadership to create impact. For example, young people are strong advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. They lead voter registration campaigns and use social media to drive awareness and mobilize support. They build mutual aid networks such as the grassroots Baltimore Safety Drive, which has, since 2021, been raising funds to support marginalized communities. 

Because of these activities, young people embody Han's ideal that hope is "… an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed."

Data from a recent survey by the nonprofit organization CoGenerate, an organization dedicated to bridging generational divides, suggests there is a pent-up demand for more co-generational action in the United States: More than 96% of survey respondents agreed that they want to work with other generations to help America better solve its problems.

And why not? It's been proven that older volunteers placed in multigenerational programs often experience decreased social isolation, greater life satisfaction and cognitive functioning and that intergenerational programs provide numerous other benefits for kids and young adults.

In my community, which skews older than more urban areas, there are opportunities to work with younger people including volunteering with the local literacy council (which I have done) and becoming involved in groups that support youth-focused activities. I'm currently part of a group of women who are seeking ways to support a local organization that advocates for child survivors of abuse and neglect, and their families, in the community outside our neighborhood. Find a way to get involved.

Acknowledging the younger generation's enthusiasm and desire for change goes a long way. Collaborate in community initiatives and, even while focusing on small but meaningful actions, learn when to step aside and stop insisting everything be done "our way."

As Han says, "Hope builds a bridge across the abyss … To the hopeful, the world appears in a different light."

Reflecting on Han's thesis that only hope can "give us back a life that is more than just mere survival," helped me to understand that by not allowing fear to isolate us from one another we might overcome our feelings of powerlessness in the face of chaos.

Ellen Acconcia Originally from New York City, Ellen Acconcia lives and writes from her home in coastal North Carolina. Her work explores memory, parenting, older adults and health and mental illness.
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