How to find hope?
Searching for hope in books, movies and TV shows
Last weekend (May 26), Israel bombed refugee tents in Rafah in Gaza. I don't think it can get much worse or more inexplicable than this. Even if the Israeli government continues to use the rhetoric of Hamas hiding between civilians as its formal excuse for killings.
It's not only the Palestine massacre. There are so many bad news in the world that sometimes it gets too overwhelming to deal with. Especially since we already know what to do. We know the solutions and how simple they are. Even if they are challenging to achieve.
We know Biden could cut ties and cease financing Israel, but he won't. We know Israel could simply stop bombing Gaza, but it won't. We are aware that the EU and the US could stop subsidizing the genocide. They could cut economical ties as they did to Russia. It's very simple.
If we stopped subsidizing war and the oil industry and tax rich companies, we could pay for a green transition. We could also move away from GDP and eternal (and impossible) growth. We could have a system not based on waste, consumption and exploitation. We could build a world with more equality and equal opportunities, where we have enough.
Maybe we will do all of those eventually, but it won't come from the top. It won't come from tech companies, business or the government. Not if they don't feel pressured to do so.
Sometimes we feel like nothing is changing, but it is. Change takes time, but things do improve little by little. Think of how life has improved for women in the last 50 years. Think of how now we are more aware of climate change around the world, how we now understand colonialism and its effects, how people question imprisonment, police and much more.
Things are improving slowly, but we are inundated with bad news because they engage more. They are shared further and faster. A constant influx of bad news can sometimes leave us paralyzed and depressed.
Representation matters
In the last 5 years or so we have seen an increase in books, movies or TV shows having more diverse characters. It is still slow, but this movement has been inspiring to follow. It is leading to more diverse teams behind the scenes and more diverse stories being told.
But maybe we lack a very critical type of representation. We are not seeing on the screens people doing good. And I don't mean super heroes, because honestly, fighting aliens to save humanity and maintain the status quo is not inspiring at all.
I mean normal people fighting for others, for what they believe. I mean movies like Erin Brockovich or Dead Poets Society. Characters or real people who are not individualistic and rich. Or only focused on their own success or their families'.
This lack of representation also happens on social media. There, people are focused on themselves, on how to get rich or famous. They show off products. They always promote some type of consumption, from Square Space to iPad, from books to face creams.
I'm not sure if you are aware of the trend "that girl". Which is basically a girl you should envy because she wakes up early, eats healthy, works out, is organized, dresses amazingly, has gorgeous skin, etc. This type of content is filled with consumerism, making you feel unhappy about yourself, so you buy a barrage of products to try to feel like you are "that girl".
Maybe we could change that. What if instead, "that girl” was someone that volunteered, organized protests, entered politics, fixed clothes and tech for her and others, organized neighbors to plant native species in their gardens…?
A problem with today's culture is that everyone, sometimes even allies, is quick to judge and cancel people doing good. Those who are vegan but take planes are hypocrites. If someone is political but say anything wrong they should be cancelled. That makes people hesitant to take a stand.
To be role models, people don't need perfection. We are all humans and we make mistakes and sometimes say the wrong things. We just need people who believe in something and act on it.
We cannot be flawless, and we cannot do it all. But what if instead of bad news or people talking about something else to buy, we constantly saw many of us doing their imperfect small changes, their imperfect small actions to improve the lives of people around us and lessen our impact on the planet?
What if instead of talking we acted? Little by little? Not trying to change the whole world but just our tiny corner? Not upholding our whole lives, but doing what we can, in whichever front we can?
Since we are blocking celebrities and their vapid consumerism, maybe we can instead find more meaningful role models, or become one ourselves? We can at least help amplify those doing good, instead of those solely focused on making us poorer and more depressed.
We find hope in each other. It has always been the case.
That's why this week, I want to share a book, movie and TV show that have inspired me out of hopelessness. In particular, I recommend the one "to binge". MLK and Malcolm X were far from perfect, and the series shows that. Still, they were a fundamental part of ending segregation in the US and that's not an easy feat. It’s inspiring to see how relentless they were and how they achieved change.
I also want to share an interview that inspired this post and definitely gave me some hope:
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
It took me a long time to read this book because I remember hating the movie when it launched. Now, I guess I have to re-watch, because I loved this book. It tells the story of six different characters living in different times. They all fight against the system they live in. It's a powerful reminder that what we do will impact the future, and it seems like it's all for nothing at the same time.
The Cave (2019)
This Oscar nominated documentary is really difficult to watch, I'm not gonna lie. It shows the daily life of a hospital during Syria's war. But it's an inspiring reminder of how resilient humans are. It's also a reminder that there are people that live through the worst possible situation and still give the best they can. There are real-life heroes out there. It will at least provide insight into how fortunate and lucky you are.
Genius: MLK/X (Disney+/ Hulu)
Genius is a captivating concept where each season they explore the life of a real-life "genius". There are currently four seasons, but I have only watched season three which is about Aretha Franklin, which I also recommend. Released recently, season four tells the story of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X together. It initially annoyed me that they didn't each get a season, but this actually works quite well. It highlights the many similarities and differences in their lives and ideas. It also shows how influential both of their wives were to their success, prominence and the civil right's movement, in general.
Do you have any inspiring book, movie or TV show to take us out of this collective sadness? Any recent characters that are inspiring? Let me know.
This needs to go viral. And we need a new word for viral with more positive connotation. Thank you for thinking about this and writing this.
Not sure if this is true for you, but sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea that seems brilliant, but then when I look back on it later with a rational brain I consider it insane. This morning the thought was I should post on social media a positive thing I do for the community every day. It can be picking up a piece of trash, volunteering, biking instead of driving, no act would be too small. Now that I’ve read your post, it doesn’t seem so insane, except maybe I just need to do it instead of post about it. Thanks again for the thoughtful post. I’m on board for starting a movement of positivity sharing.