Hope is a function of struggle… it’s not something you find when things are easy, but something you build when you’re in the thick of it. This idea completely reframes how we think about resilience and personal growth, suggesting that our toughest moments are actually the forge for our greatest strengths.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
The core message is that hope isn’t a passive feeling that arrives on its own; it’s an active skill, a muscle you develop by pushing through hardship.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. We tend to think hope is this fragile thing that disappears the moment things get hard. But Brown is saying the exact opposite. It’s in the struggle—the late nights, the failed projects, the personal crises—that we actually learn how to hope. It’s the process of falling down and figuring out how to get back up that teaches you what you’re truly capable of. You don’t find hope by avoiding the storm; you learn to build a shelter while you’re in it.
Quote Summary
Reading Level38
Aesthetic Score86
Origin & Factcheck
This quote comes straight from Brené Brown’s 2015 book, Rising Strong, which was published in the United States. You sometimes see similar sentiments about struggle floating around, but this specific, powerful phrasing is uniquely hers from that work.
Attribution Summary
Author Bio
Dr Brene Brown is the author of books such as Daring Greatly and The Power of Vulnerability. The TED talk and Netflix production based on her research reached out to millions of audience. She researches effects of courage and vulnerability in shaping people's work and relationships. She leads the Brené Brown Education and Research Group and provides evidence-based insights into practical tools to help people train themselves
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Hope is a function of struggle; we develop hope not during the easy times, but through adversity and discomfort |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2015; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9780812995824; Last edition. Number of pages: 336. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page, The Revolution section |
Context
In Rising Strong, Brown is deep in the weeds of her research on vulnerability and courage. This quote isn’t just a nice thought; it’s a conclusion. It’s part of her “rumble” process—that messy, uncomfortable stage where you’re in the struggle, and it’s precisely there that you have the chance to write a new, more hopeful ending to your story.
Usage Examples
This isn’t just theoretical. I use this concept all the time.
- For a team leader watching their team hit a wall on a project: Instead of swooping in to fix it, you can frame it as, “This is the part where we build our hope muscle. Let’s figure out what this struggle is teaching us.” It changes the entire energy.
- For a friend going through a personal rough patch: You can gently remind them, “I know this feels awful, but this is the work. The hope you’re looking for is being built right now, in this moment.” It validates their pain while pointing them toward strength.
- For yourself, when you’re the one in the struggle: It’s a mantra. A simple, “Hope is a function of this. This is where it’s made.” It turns a moment of despair into a moment of purposeful endurance.
To whom it appeals?
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FAQ
Question: Does this mean we should seek out struggle?
Answer: Not at all. Life provides plenty of struggle on its own. The point is to stop seeing it as a sign of failure and start recognizing it as the raw material for building resilience and hope.
Question: What if someone is in a truly hopeless situation?
Answer: This is a great question. The quote isn’t about toxic positivity. It’s about the process of struggling itself. Even taking one tiny, defiant step forward in a “hopeless” situation is an act of hope-building. It’s about the micro-actions, not the macro-outcome.
Question: How is this different from just being optimistic?
Answer: Optimism can be passive—just expecting things to get better. Hope, in Brown’s definition, is gritty and active. It’s the belief that you can influence your future through your actions, even when the present is painful. Optimism says “it’ll be fine.” Hope says “I will find a way to make it better.”
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