Bush invited his constituency to be blind to the world's real problems, and leftists often do the opposite, gazing so fixedly at those problems that they cannot see beyond them. Thus it is that the world often seems divided between false hope and gratuitous despair. Despair demands less of us, it's more predictable, and in a sad way safer. Authentic hope requires clarity--seeing the troubles in this world--and imagination, seeing what might lie beyond these situations that are perhaps not inevitable and immutable.
About This Quote
About Rebecca Solnit
Rebecca Solnit was a contemporary American writer and activist. Rebecca Solnit is an American writer and activist. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art. Read more on Wikipedia →
Themes
- Hope — Words of encouragement about optimism and brighter futures
- Imagination — The creative power of the mind and visionary thinking
- Politics — Governance, civic duty, and the structures of power