Are you seen as a 'Hopeful Person' or a 'Spiritual Person'?

Are you seen as
a ‘Hopeful Person’ or a ‘Religious Person’?

Adapted from the Doctoral Dissertation of

Are you seen as a ‘Hopeful Person’ or a ‘Religious Person’? Here are some interesting observations that were revealed during the research work for the doctoral dissertation conducted with college students.

The intention of using the ‘Most Hopeful Person’ concept was to gain an understanding of the college student's definition of the experience of ‘being hopeful.’ However, in order to gain a religious perspective on the ‘experience of being hopeful,’ the student was asked about the ‘Most Religious Person.’ It was originally thought that both, the Most hopeful and the Most Religious would be the same person and therefore, by asking two questions, two perspectives of one person would be gained. However, the results showed a very different trend, a trend that seemed consistent throughout all three groups – the Armenian students in Armenia and the United States, and the non-Armenian students in the United States.

The Most Religious Person, be it in the family or outside, was usually a female. Typical comments for those in the family included: "My mom is more religious because she prays more," or "My mom really helps people, volunteers her time at the church, and she goes to church every Sunday." For those outside the family: "An elderly woman (either the grandmother or a neighbor) read the Bible for me when I was little," or "An elderly woman gave me a book which helped me stay strong spiritually as my parents were going through divorce." The Most Religious was a person who listened and was emotionally responsive to the student's difficulties, went to church, and/or prayed. In the family, this was generally the mother with whom a student shared his or her feelings and thoughts.

The Most Hopeful Person, however, was usually a male. In the family, it was generally the father. Why the father? Because even though the father did not listen to the student's feelings and thoughts very often, he did not seem to respond a great deal to problems either. He seemed to be unmoved by the difficulties, remained calm, assured the student that everything would be fine, and sometimes showed him or her how to resolve a situation. "My dad always kept a positive attitude and would not panic. Instead he would sit down with me and analyze the situation. At the end, I would feel more hopeful," said an American Armenian female student. When asked why they shared their problems with their fathers rather than their mothers, both male and female students responded by saying that their mothers would respond too emotionally and might even panic. An American Armenian female pointed-out that "if I told my mother about the difficulties I was having with my boyfriend, she would never let me go on another date." An American male stated: "I did not want to hurt my mom. She takes everything close to her heart and worries. My dad seems to let go of things more easily." Thus, they preferred talking to their fathers because they would not react or panic as much. In a sense, the father would be a better ‘spring board’ for new ideas and challenges.

In terms of spirituality, there is more work necessary in this area to confirm the students' conceptions of "reacting" or "being calm," yet there is a certain correlation between these observations and views in other areas. For example, the image of God that seemed to give hope was the image of God that is unaffected by the chaotic situation which the person faces. The students in Armenia who had read parts of the Bible or other religious material, shared the view that God is "more powerful" and can stop wars, whereas Christ cannot. This perception existed because in the student’s mind God seems to be unaffected by the world, whereas Christ is affected as illustrated by his crucifixion and death.

So, whether you are seen as a ‘Hopeful Person’ or a ‘Religious Person’ seems to depend both on how you respond to others needs as well as the personality and spiritual perception of those who view you. Can a person be both simultaneously – Spiritual and Hopeful? What do you think? Is there such as person in your life? Let us know!

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