With still being in the midst of a pandemic that has been going on for months now it can be easy for one to lose hope. Over quarantine I started reading Everything is F*cked: A Book about Hope by Mark Manson. Manson starts off the book by talking about life’s uncomfortable truth; dying. The only known truth is you and everyone you love will die. That’s just Depressing right? Nevertheless, the only thing that allows us to go along with our days is this idea of hope. Basically, something needs to matter in our lives because if nothing matters there is no reason to go on living. I would have to argue that Manson is right with these claims. I am always subconsciously hoping for things such as hoping next year will go back to normal and I can sit in carrier for hours with my friends and not have to wear a mask.
Everything is F*cked says hopelessness is the root of anxiety, mental illness and depression. So, besides the fact that Covid.-19 can kill you, there is a flip side that many may be losing hope during these times causing more anxiety, mental illness and depression, while possibly worrying about dying. Manson states that “To build and maintain hope, we need three things: a sense of control, a belief in the value of something, and a community” (pg. 19). Well, I would certainly love to hear Manson’s advice in these trying times. As of right now, many people like me may feel like there is no sense of control, we have no idea what even the next semester at school will look like. As for a belief in the value of something, I have come to find that difficult during these times, especially with the election having just happened and seeing that my values do not align with half of the country. To have a sense of community is definitely trying during these times when you can only really interact with your community virtually. The uncomfortable truth has become especially uncomfortable when there is a diminished since of hope during this pandemic.
Sarah Dunn
Lab assistant
Class of 2022
Reference: Manson, Mark. Everything Is -: a Book about Hope. Harper, 2019.