Why Too Much Hope Can Be Unhealthy for You
A Lesson from Meursault, the Absurd Hero
"I hope I'm going to be fine."
"I hope I'll pass the exam."
"I hope I'm going to get the job."
We hope constantly.
It's woven into our everyday language, like saying "Hope to see you soon" before we say goodbye.
This verbal pattern shapes how we think and behave. It becomes cultural: a default mode of being.
Hope often gets confused with optimism. But where do we draw the line between being optimistic and being naive?
Think about the last time you felt disappointed. It's not a great feeling. You might have wondered why you felt that way.
Let's examine the way we expect and hope. To do this, we'll explore Albert Camus' concept of the absurd and how it helps us rethink our culture of hope.
If you've never heard of Camus, he's the guy who said:
"There is but one serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy."
Camus' absurdism repositions hope in a way that makes you go, "This makes sense." Ironic, isn't it?
So sit back, clear your mind, and prepare yourself for a little existential reflection.
Albert Camus and Meursault
Meursault, the protagonist of The Outsider, is portrayed as an outsider in society. His moral compass doesn't align with societal norms. This mirrors Camus' own sense of isolation, growing up in Algeria as a French descendant.
Despite winning the Nobel Prize, Camus remains a divisive figure in Algeria because of his stance during the Algerian War. Still, Algeria was the crucible that shaped his philosophy and art. Culturally, Camus is Algerian.
Who Is Meursault?
Some might label Meursault a sociopath. In The Outsider, he's portrayed as someone either unable or deliberately unwilling to feel emotions most people find significant.
He shows no grief after his mother's death. He doesn't understand the emotional gravity when Marie proposes marriage.
His detachment makes him an archetypal absurd hero. Meursault is to Camus what Sisyphus was to Greek myth.
What Is the Absurd?
The absurd is the tension between two things:
- Our human need to find meaning in life
- The universe's indifference to that need
Meursault is an absurd hero because he embraces this tension. Society, by contrast, escapes it through illusion: through hope.
Hope as the Absurd Form of Expectation
Hope is a mental state based on the expectation of a preferred outcome.
Most belief systems promote hope as virtuous. It becomes prayer, ritual, and social script, reinforced by centuries of tradition.
But Camus challenges this. In works like The Outsider and The Myth of Sisyphus, hope becomes a futile longing for certainty in an uncertain world.
Meursault behaves authentically because he doesn't chase meaning defined by society. He doesn't hope for life to make sense.
Even if life were to gain meaning, he sees it as irrelevant. His nihilism confuses readers because it confronts our moral instincts.
Hope Hinders Acceptance of Existence
The absurdity of hope lies in its refusal to accept life as it is.
Longing for unity, fearing impermanence, and denying death are all emotional defenses. Hope feels better than confronting reality. It's more comfortable to wish than to accept.
Meursault evolves during his time in prison. Initially, he hopes to escape the death sentence.
But when found guilty, he's overwhelmed by the anxiety of dying. He fears the guillotine malfunctioning, making death painful.
This anxiety was born from hope—the hope that things might turn out different.
When he abandons that hope, he finds peace. He realizes: dying now or in a few decades changes nothing.
“And I, too, felt ready to start life all over again. It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope... I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe... I'd been happy, and I was happy still.”
—Meursault, The Outsider
Hope Deteriorates Rational Judgement
When hope dominates expectation, it clouds judgment.
You lose your grip on the present moment. Your mind drifts to the future, fantasizing about what might be.
Meursault, by relinquishing hope, embraces his remaining time. He doesn't mourn what could have been. He experiences the moment.
Presence is found in the absence of hope.
Managing Expectations in a Human Brain Wired for Hope
It's hard to master the emotional discipline that Meursault models. To abandon hope entirely seems extreme.
Biologically, our minds are wired to anticipate, to expect, to hope. It's part of survival.
So does it mean giving up hope is impossible?
Perhaps. But managing expectations is achievable. We may not escape hope, but we can temper it.
Practice Self-Reflection
Anyone can learn to manage expectations. It begins with reflection.
But today, reflection is a luxury. Our minds are bombarded by distractions, headlines, notifications, and spectacle.
You have to choose to slow down. To sit. To reflect.
Meursault does this. He watches people on the street, observes life, and draws his own conclusions.
One practical habit to cultivate this: journaling.
Writing helps clarify your thoughts. It reveals how your mind works, and where your expectations lie.
From there, you can decide: what is a reasonable expectation? Where is my mind chasing absurd comfort again?
Reflection prompt:
What do I hope for and why? What might I see differently if I let go of that hope, even briefly?
Assert Gratitude Toward the Inevitable
Without hope, what's left? Can we still be optimistic?
Yes. And the answer is gratitude.
Hope looks to what isn't. Gratitude anchors to what is. It's a more stable, sustainable optimism.
We see this in Meursault when he goes to a comedy screening with Marie just days after his mother's death. It may seem callous. But to him, grief over irreversible loss is futile.
He chooses to live.
Reflection prompt:
What am I grateful for—especially things I didn't earn, but received?
Take Responsibility for Your Life
When you let go of hope, you take radical responsibility.
You stop waiting. You start doing.
Yes, hope can motivate. But how authentic is that motivation?
Is it driven by illusion? Or is it rooted in ownership?
Maybe There's a Time and Place for Hope
Hope, when unmanaged, can harm your mental state.
Rational judgment is flawed, yes, but it's more reliable than irrational hope.
There may be a place for hope: for dreamers, for idealists, for those who reject the absurd.
But if you choose to face reality as it is, let Meursault be your guide.