In my peer counseling practice we think of discouragement as a learned patterned response to distress. Humans are not naturally discouraged. But very early we are vulnerable to learning to give up when times are hard. This is a defense mechanism against being disappointed. I think unreasonable hope is also a defense mechanism. Neither patterned discouragement nor unrealistic hope are rnew esponses to the present moment. Instead they are reenactments of an old response. Like needle in a groove on a record, we settle in and play the old tune.

My pattern is to not even try when something seems impossible. I think that part of capitalism is to reinforce the sense that it is futile to fight. Capitalism divides people into separate units, and yes, alone we are easily defeated. It is easy to anticipate defeat and not try. But together we can help each other fight through the old discouragement and see that there is always at least one elegant solution to any problem.

Our brains are naturally flexible. Yes, there are big problems. I think of hope as a strategic asset to face big problems. It helps me to engage my flexible thinking and remember that there are other flexible thinkers out there. Discouragement does the opposite.