Hoping and Planning

One of the greatest results of education is the realization of the difference between hoping and planning. All too often, a student will say, "Professor, I plan to turn my paper in by Thursday, okay?" Thursday comes and goes, and there is no paper. That's because the student did not actually plan to turn in the paper. He hoped that he would turn in the paper.

Hoping that something will happen absolves the hoper of responsibility. If it happens, great. It's what he hoped for. If it doesn't happen, it isn't his fault.

Planning, by contrast, requires the planner to accept responsibility. If it doesn't happen, it's because he did not actually do the planning, itemizing the things that must occur and deciding how to make each one occur.

But there's nothing wrong with hoping. An effective application of hope will marvelously clear the mind, letting it do the hard work of planning.