What a Study on Rats Can Teach Us About Hope

Disclaimer: The following story describes an experiment on rats from the 1950s that some readers may find disturbing. If you’re more sensitive to animals (like I often am), I wanted to give you a heads-up!

In 1950, a Harvard-trained researcher named Kurt Richter conducted a study on rats to determine how long they could swim in two different conditions.

In the first condition, the rats were placed in a bucket of water and left to swim until they eventually gave up and drowned. They lasted about 15 minutes. In the second condition, just before the rats were about to give up, around the 15-minute mark, Richter picked them up, dried them off, let them rest briefly, and then put them back in the water.

Now, guess how long the rats were able to swim after condition two? 

Here's the shocking thing that happened.

In condition number two, after being picked up and put back in, they swam for an additional 60 hours. Not 60 minutes, 60 hours! It's an astonishingly 240 times longer than they did in condition number one.

The difference between the two conditions was hope.

Hope Helps Us Hold On, Even When Life is Hard

The rats in the second condition had experienced being rescued. This hope kept them swimming far beyond their previous limits. This odd but powerful story illustrates the impact that hope can have on our lives, enabling us to persevere through even the most challenging circumstances.

In my coaching practice, I've noticed that clients tend to fall into one of two extremes when faced with difficulties.

Some of us like to focus on our hurt.

We stay stuck in the "sackcloth and ashes" of their situation. We continually talk about how horrible life is, how much our relationships are struggling, and how everything seems bleak. It’s important to talk about difficulties, but when we only dwell on the negative, we trap ourselves in a place of darkness and despair, unable to see any possibility for improvement or change.

This approach to life's challenges is ultimately unhelpful if you want to grow. 

Some of us like to rely on “hype”. 

We ignore the pain of reality and paint a picture of a perfect future. Regardless of the obstacles in the way, we’re convinced we can achieve anything we set our minds to. While this approach may provide temporary relief, it ultimately sets us up for disappointment when reality fails to meet our unrealistic expectations.

By “hyping ourselves up”, and clinging to false promises. and denying the truth of our situation, we miss out on opportunities for genuine growth and transformation.

I want to invite you to find a healthy balance.

If hurt and hype are on opposite ends, hope is the healthy middle.

With hope, we can acknowledge the reality of our struggles while maintaining a belief in the possibility of a better future. When we cultivate hope, we give ourselves the courage to face our challenges head-on, knowing that even though the path ahead may be difficult, there is still the potential for growth, healing, and positive change.

Hope is different from hype in that it is grounded in reality.

It doesn't make guarantees or promise instant solutions but rather acknowledges that growth and progress are often messy and require time and effort.

Hope is also different from focusing on hurt, as it allows us to see beyond our current pain and envision a brighter future.

By maintaining hope, we can find the strength to keep moving forward, even when the road ahead is uncertain.

In conclusion, hope is a powerful force that can sustain us through life's most difficult moments. 

Here’s your action item for this week:

If you find yourself focusing on how hard life is, hold onto the hope that it won’t always be this way. 

If you notice that you’re relying on hype to get through a challenge, recognize the truth of the situation. You’re right. It can get better, but it’s also true that life is hard. Sit in the difficulty for a moment and let it teach you something new. 

Thanks for reading,

Mike Foster