The Hope Institute
A 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit
Your Total Hopefulness Score is:
000
/200
Hopefulness is humanity’s most important character strength, the psychological equivalent of an immune system. Structurally, being “hope-full” may be compared to having a “container” of strengths, filled to capacity. Functionally, being “hope-full” may be compared to a fully charged power source, or a reservoir of stored potential energy.
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Share Your Results
Would you like to see a full report with your scores on all ten scales and the four major aspects of hope (Mastery, Attachment, Survival, and Spiritual Hope)? If yes, click below to purchase your full report and obtain a detailed hopefulness profile.
Mastery Hope Score:
00
/40
In several large-scale studies, psychologists cast aside all prejudgments and asked lay people (non-professionals) open-ended questions about hope. Hopeful individuals reported a focus on non-negotiable, life-defining endpoints (ultimate, unconditional desires, linked to cherished values). They also highlighted the role of empowerment and inspiration.
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Goal Progress Score:
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Goal Support Score:
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Attachment Hope Score:
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/40
Philosophers, who have provided the deepest thoughts on hope, consistently stress the importance of social connections and trust. A hopeful person has internalized a sense of embeddedness in a predictable universe of caring people and benign forces, visible and invisible. Some philosophers equate hopefulness with openness.
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Connection Score:
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Trust Score:
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Survival Hope Score:
00
Ancient Greek healers as well as modern-day medical investigators have touted the importance of hope for stress management and recovery from illness. Hope is distinguishable from optimism, confidence, or mere “expectation” by its association with difficult but not impossible challenges. Survival hope includes imaginative constructions of reality, fact-finding, and development of options.
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Personal Coping Score:
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Coping Support Score:
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Liberty Score:
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Spiritual Hope Score:
00
For countless millennia, humanity has found hope in spiritual beliefs. From the perspective of our critical “MASS.” model, we view spirituality (broadly defined, not just religious), as essential for the full development of hopefulness. Humans cannot fully satisfy their needs for mastery, attachment, or salvation with ordinary responses to the world. Spirituality offers an important and extraordinary layer of empowerment, presence, and salvation.
A caveat. Perhaps you believe that human efforts can satisfy basic needs without spiritual input. Fine. We believe that some kind of spirituality is important for the full development of hopefulness. But we can agree to disagree. Of course, it is also possible that the questions on the Adult Hopefulness Scale have failed to capture your personal sense of spirituality. However, if we presume that our scales accurately reflect your current level of spirituality, let’s consider the implications.
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Spiritual Inspiration Score:
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Spiritual Presence Score:
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Spiritual Protection Score:
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(survivalHopeScale): Survival Hope(survivalHopeBand): med(survivalHopeSum): 11(survivalHopeGauge): 55(survivalHopeDisplayText): You may experience some (but not a great deal of) flexibility, skill-development opportunities, and feedback to assure you of a good future. Another possibility is that the workplace is unbalanced in nurturing survival hope. You may have flexibility and options but little skill-development opportunities. You might receive considerable feedback but see few options for lateral or upward mobility. Scholarly writings on hope emphasize a need for options (hopelessness is often equated to entrapment). In addition, the survival dimension of hope includes adaptability through action and imagination. A good work situation fosters this survival dimensional of hope if it provides some flexibility or "breathing room" for thought and action. If you read this paragraph closely, you can see that survival hope is multidimensional (options, imagination, ability to adapt or pivot). Which of these facets is/are most important to you: having options, room for imagination or creativity, skill-building for a flexible approach heading towards the future? Which of these are in greater or lesser supply in your workplace? (survivalHopeDisplayTextId): b9dac252-cb53-4b78-801e-7824d8469905(masteryHopeScale): Mastery Hope(masteryHopeBand): low(masteryHopeSum): 9(masteryHopeGauge): 45(masteryHopeDisplayText): You feel underappreciated. Your skills, work ethic, or other contributions often go unnoticed. You may sense that the organization does not differentiate between good work and poor work. There is little effort to provide training that personally benefits you versus the organization’s “bottom-line.” However, as we note in another section of this report, individuals vary in how much they personally feel a need for mastery, attachment, survival, or spirituality. To some extent, these differences are based on early life experiences and what we internalize from these "formative" years. So ask yourself, how important is this dimension of your work life?(masteryHopeDisplayTextId): 68ef2db5-5ccc-4e97-a46c-c1329cfaa832(spiritualHopeScale): Spiritual Hope(spiritualHopeBand): low(spiritualHopeSum): 4(spiritualHopeGauge): 20(spiritualHopeDisplayText): You cannot derive any sense of purpose or meaning from work. The workplace may not have a mission nor even a basic commitment (e.g., manufacturing “excellence”). Alternatively, you may sense that the workplace priorities do not align with a stated mission, or the workplace mission may not reflect your core values. However, as we stated elsewhere in the report, people vary in their sensitivity to issues of meaning and purpose, in or out of work. Issues of meaning and purpose may not be important to you. Alternatively, these issues matter but you find a sufficient degree of meaning and purpose outside of work and do not seek it within the workplace. (spiritualHopeDisplayTextId): 9b428556-8440-444e-9bbf-6a3f09727cb1(totalWorkplaceHopeScale): Total Workplace Hope(totalWorkplaceHopeBand): low(totalWorkplaceHopeSum): 32(totalWorkplaceHopeGauge): 40(totalWorkplaceHopeDisplayText): Low Workplace Hope. Multiple elements of the Critical MASS may be in short supply at your workplace. You may feel alienated from other workers, colleagues, or members of the administration. Perhaps the problem is a lack of purposeful/meaningful work? Maybe the salary, benefits, or compensation is not sustainable to support you and/or loved ones. Which elements are essential for you to remain in this organization? A low score is unfortunate. The average adult spends approximately 1,800 hours per year at work. Can you think of ways to increase your feelings of mastery, attachment, survivability, or sense of purpose, within this organization, or outside of work if necessary? For problems with mastery, attachment, and even spirituality, it may be possible to complement your work life with activities that satisfy these needs more directly. If the problem is survival-related, you have at least three options: seek a different job or career for which you are qualified, seek a second source of income and remain at your job, seek training in your off-hours to make a future switch in work or career. Review your priorities and needs for both salary and benefits. Think in long-term and short-term time frames, and consider both your stability and growth needs. (totalWorkplaceHopeDisplayTextId): e1ed2ba6-be73-420d-9766-bbb132a9d390(criticalItemsScale): Critical Items(criticalItemsBand): low(criticalItemsSum): 11(criticalItemsGauge): 55(criticalItemsDisplayText): Your workplace does not meet your minimal needs for a hopeful environment. As you reflect on your work environment, ask yourself if there is a primary problem that relates to meaning and purpose, relationships, or finances and security? Which of these issues are most critical to you? There is considerable psychological research showing that stress is most taxing on the mind and body when the stressor frustrates are most important needs. For example, if you are an extroverted, outgoing individual, the most critical item for you might involve the presence or absence of decent relationships characterized by dignity and fellowship. What aspects of the Critical MASS matter most to you (skill-building and flexibility, respect, dignity, purpose)? Can you offset these deficits via family, friends, hobbies, etc.? In short, can you find enough hope beyond the workplace ?(criticalItemsDisplayTextId): 479377f8-4a67-4bf6-9682-c0176d25f1f2(attachmentHopeScale): Attachment Hope(attachmentHopeBand): low(attachmentHopeSum): 8(attachmentHopeGauge): 40(attachmentHopeDisplayText): You feel quite alone at work. This feeling may be due to differences in values or interests compared to others in the organization. You may feel a need to remain guarded. A very low score may suggest feelings of isolation and mistrust towards individuals or groups at multiple levels of the organization (horizontal and vertical alienation). The two forms of connection, vertical and horizontal, satisfy different attachment-related needs. For example, horizontal connections among those with equal levels of power can provide a sense of friendship, intimacy, and understanding. Vertical connections offer mentorship opportunities (providing or receiving), respect (given or received), and boundary-making skill development. How strong is your need for these kinds of work connections?(attachmentHopeDisplayTextId): a44539a6-da56-4f4c-aece-d117afd4a4d5