I myself have held out and followed many of a false hope. This hope was found up emotional and non-factual feelings. I now base my hopes on what I know to be true. For example. I hope I win the Lotto. This is based on that I picked the numbers and by random chance that I will all or part of the prize. "This a gamble!" The other example is, by exercise, weight loss and diet I will build myself up to where I can do long hikes or ride my bike in a bike marathon. The second is based on what I know and have seen the results. What this is a risk. Risk is based on a strong foundation, with the accepted fact that results could end either way. Now here is where I blow this out of the water in someways. I have the assured hope of an afterlife in Heaven. This is based on my personal faith and religious beliefs. I believe by following a given set of teachings, prayer and following our written guide to faith in practice. This give me hope in my after life. The same faith and practice as my parents, family and friends. This may be called a "Fool’s Hope". However this "Fool’s Hope" has always given me strength and hope for better things to come. There is and old saying."That dose not kill us makes us stronger." Fool’s Hope is sometimes the only thing that we can hold on to when there is nothing else to support us. I will still at times put myself into false hopes and things will go sour. However I also know with out the Fool’s Hope I would not be writing this today.

Hope is what keeps all of us going, no matter who you are.  It is what humans posess that makes us different from animals and other species.  We have the power to make ourselves happy and continue our journey.  Saying that, I do think that we also need to be a bit realistic when we plan our dreams and try to bank on certain things.

I know that hope has helped me in many a situation and I would not give it up along with faith, happiness and whatever else helps to get me through this life. 

I think thats one perspective on how to look at it.

Everyone carries hope with them in their pocket. It's what gets us by, especially if things aren't going well.

But, I also think that if you work hard, i mean as hard as you can. If you truly devote yourself to what you want out of life, and do everything you can to accomplish your hopes and dreams.... then you should have NO regrets if it doesn't pan out.

Because if you really tried and you did everything you could, then it just wasn't meant to be.

that's my perspective.

Well, hope is a precious thing, I think.  It keeps us from going into deep despair.  But, one needs to take action.  Without action to achieve whatever one hopes for, ther can be a devastating outcome. 

Our fears prevent us from confronting some major problems we may be experiencing and so we procrastinate and go into a "wishful thinking" phase  and or state of paralysis.

To make a long story short, I believe in hope; but then, sometimes, I also believe in "blind faith".  LOL 

"Hope is that thing with feathers

that perches in the soul..."  from Emily Dickinson