With all these world-class thinkers gracing the stage of the Walker Cinema, it was refreshing to conclude the day with some wisdom from children. John Davis, founder of the Kids Philosophy Slam, welcomed a handful of 8- to 14-year olds onstage for a philosophical round-robin on fear and hope. It was really wonderful, and not just in a Kids Say the Darndest Things way (although there was a bit of that).
The big question they were to address:
Which is more powerful, hope or fear?
The answers were funny and, well, philosophical, from one self-assured little guy (Daniel, who at 8 or 9, ad-libbed about the “inevitability” of fear) who touched on the interplay of hope and fear (”They’re a team… like the sun and the moon.”), while eight-year old Elsie poetically said, “ Hope is a gentle breeze, but fear is a whipping icy wind.” There were moments of deep emotion that I hesitate to mention for fear of exploiting a child’s very real grief. Morgan, who’s nine, read a statement about her brother Oliver, who died in a car accident just last year, but her words became muffled by tears, making palpable that hope and fear are more than abstract concepts. Another girl spoke of her mother’s cancer, another of war in Iraq, and another of the fear of showing your parents a bad report card (although that was seen as one of the positive effects of fear).
The questions Davis asked the kids are certainly worth pondering:
To what extent can we control the fear within ourselves?
Can hope have a negative influence on a person’s life?
Can fear ever be a motivating factor in a person’s life?
What is the value of hope when faced with all of the death and destruction in Iraq?
As they tackled these questions, I started to as well, and the original question–about whether hope or fear was more powerful–took on new meaning, transforming from the poetry of optimism to the pragmatic realization that we live in a world damaged by people overpowered by their own fear. I found myself wanting to side with hope (isn’t that the right answer?), but the reality these days seems to suggest the opposite.
Seeing these young people giving voice to such issues–and in so cogent and compelling a manner–was really amazing. Fourteen-year old Aaron seemed to grasp the nebulousness of hope and the viscerality of fear:
“Fear can make you do things you never would do… Fear is what drives men to war. Fear is everything. Hope is nothing. A thought, a chance… something you grab onto for inspiration…. Hope is a nonexistent glimmer in the dark. Fear is real. Very real.”
Embedded in all that is… hope: that hope is merely and promisingly a chance.
This is great! Thankyou! Right now… well before i was really confused about which one is more powerful. I’m still hanging off the sides of hope and fearbut now i think that fear is more powerful! THANK-YOU! =]
Comment by Kate — April 22, 2008 @ 6:09 am
It depends on personal experience in the past because someone who has only known fear will want to avoid fear and hold on to hope, and someone who has only known hope might chase fear for skydiving. I think its psychology mainly. I really enjoy overcoming my fears like heights, its so rewarding, but i do question like mandela says, what is your deepest fear? Many answers for this question(inadequate, rejection, powerful beyond measure etc) but let me ask you what is your greatest hope? Don’t blame our fears on the scaremongering media or dangerous society. because fear is in your control. Now i think about it, fear is more powerful since i have far more ideas to offer and debate. Thanks
Comment by Mark — August 21, 2008 @ 8:18 pm