I had stated that hope was not a virtue or an action verb, but it is abstract. Abstract words like this are wide open to interpretation. You may be thinking of abstracts like love and peace, which I would argue are also not action verbs. Hope, like love and peace, are states of mind. My only hang up with hope is that it is very passive and waits on things to happen without effort.

There are exceptions, of course, like hoping someone gets better or hoping someone doesn’t fall who is climbing a mountain. But those are hollow wishes because other actions are happening. The person who is ill is receiving medical care and the mountain climber has taken precautions to prevent falling. Even though there’s still a chance that things may go awry, precautions are a better chance that things will work out.

Also, these hopes are based on the actions of others. The exception to that is when “Hope this works” is said to oneself when attempting something.

I’m tired of seeing and hearing so many people give more weight to hope – I want them to practice the real weight lifters like love, faith, and peace. Instead of letting your child see you buy lottery tickets, open up an account for them or think of an investment like a business or viable stocks.

What I want is for someone to prove to me that hope is more than a cross-your-fingers non-action verb.