It’s a new year — 2026!
How are you feeling about the state of the world?
On the whole, are you an optimistic person? Do you believe our best days are still before us? Or does the thought of the future fill you with a sense of unease?
What gives you hope as we begin a new year? What are you looking forward to most?
In the Morning Newsletter, “Hope in a Time of Cynicism,” Lauren Jackson explores what keeps us optimistic even in an era of despair.
America has become a country of cynics. At least, that’s what studies show.
People don’t trust each other, the media or the government. Most Americans, about 80 percent, don’t feel confident their children’s lives will be better than theirs. About half the country thinks America’s best days are in the past.
“Cynicism is vastly on the rise,” said Jamil Zaki, the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. It’s a dangerous trend — but Zaki and other experts say it’s reversible if people cultivate hope that another future is possible.
Hope, as a word, can be pat (does my barista really hope I have a good one?) and overly saccharine (think: the generic painted sign in an Airbnb). But it is also, experts tell me, an action verb.
While optimism is the belief that the future will be better, hope is the belief “that we have the power to make it so,” said Chan Hellman, the director of The Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma. It is “one of the strongest predictors of well-being,” he said. It helps improve the immune system and aids recovery from illness. More hopeful people may actually grow taller than less hopeful people.
The newsletter shares some ways to be more hopeful, according to experts:
People can set specific goals and then “begin brainstorming the pathways or road maps” to achieve them, ideally by writing them down, Hellman said. That can start small. “It is much better to set and focus on short-term goals rather than long-term, abstract goals,” he added.
Another tactic is to “replace cynicism with skepticism,” Zaki said. “Skepticism is not believing that everything will turn out great, but also not prejudging things as terrible, either.”
That can often mean speaking more positively about other people, as trust in others is an indicator of low levels of cynicism. People gossip three times as much about the selfish things others do than about the generous things they do, Zaki has found. To address that, he and his family practice “positive gossip.”
“Each evening we try to share one story of something positive that somebody else did that day,” he said “The research finds that when you know you’re going to have to share something, you pay a lot more attention to it.”
Finally, The Times asked readers what gives them hope. Here are some of the replies:
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Random acts of kindness: “Tim. Early in our friendship, he texted me one morning: ‘Hey! I just heard on the radio that today is going to be the best day ever.’ I smiled, actually believed him. About a week later, same text: ‘Hey! I just heard on the radio that today is going to be the best day ever.’”
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Children: “Have you heard a kid really laugh? From their gut? That sound could end all wars.”
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History: “Mothers Against Drunk Driving. No one thought we could re-educate the populace to stop drinking and driving. We did by persevering and by educating children about it. They listened. We changed. We can do this again around the differences we have now.”
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Sports: “I’m looking forward to watching the Super Bowl with my grandkids. And then, in March, I’m taking them to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo!”
Students, read the entire newsletter and then tell us:
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What gives you hope in 2026? In general, are you looking forward to a new year?
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America has become a country of cynics, according to surveys. Does that ring true for you? Do you tend to be optimistic or pessimistic about the things in your life or the state of the world? Why or why not?
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Studies show that 80 percent of Americans don’t believe the next generation will have a better life than their parents. As a member of that “next generation,” do you agree? Why or why not?
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What’s your reaction to the newsletter and its exploration of hope? What do you think of its recommendations on how to cultivate hope?
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In “8 Things Our Critics Are Looking Forward to in 2026,” Times culture critics share what they are most excited about in the new year. What are you looking forward to in 2026? Whether it’s an important birthday, celebration or milestone, or a TV show or book that’s coming out soon, give us your most-anticipated list.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Jeremy Engle is an editor of The Learning Network who worked in teaching for more than 20 years before joining The Times.
The post What Gives You Hope in 2026? appeared first on New York Times.
