The difference between faith and hope

Faith and hope seem synonymous, but they can have different meanings depending on what each one wants to express through them.

Hope…

… as the name suggests, implies a wait state. And if those who wait are not mature enough to understand that pain and losses are part of life, and embrace hope as a mere reaction to despair, the result can be frustration and even revolt if the expectation is not fulfilled – the return of a love Lost, for example.

This kind of hope assumes that spiritual power must carry out our wills and work miracles. If the miracle does not come, we feel helpless.

Faith…

…”those who have it trust in a superior plan and understand that difficulties serve a purpose and serve as learning”, observes Professor Franklin Santos, from the USP Faculty of Medicine. “The individual has a more realistic posture, which makes him feel less helpless even when the problem is not resolved the way he would like”.

What does evolution say?

From an evolutionary point of view, faith and hope are synonymous. “The human species adapted to live in hostile environments – and one of the ‘weapons’ or evolutionary characteristics that ensured our survival was hope. The most confident survived, as well as those who best endured the cold, the heat…”, concludes João Calixto.