Hope 希望

在「乞丐國王的時光指環」一書裡，
作者說「希望」最容易讓人受傷。

是的，既期待又怕受傷害，
希望和希望幻滅之後，
有時只能用烈焰著身來形容。

你，可曾受過「希望」(過度期待)之苦？

最近在另一本書中讀到：
在巴西，一生貧困，從無法找到像樣工作的貧民窟居民，
非常樂觀的回答記者：
「希望是最後才嚥氣的東西。」

那天在圖書館裡，面對一排又一排的期刊，
正好瞧見Journal of Marketing,
2005一月號的第一篇文章：

The Concept of Hope and its Relevance to Product Evaluation and Choice

論文裡分析什麼是Hope,
如何利用hope來作marketing，刺激消費者購買....

讀完，不禁慨然，
在不同的心情，不同的社會背景(或學術殿堂裡)之下，
原來，原始的慾望-- hope 希望，是可以操弄的！

讀著美式論文，結構真嚴謹，
眼睜睜地感慨其言之成理似的論述。

P.S. 相片中的黃色酢醬草花，直徑真實大小僅有一公分寬。
從泥裡鑽頭而出生命力，希望無窮。

延伸網址：
The Concept of Hope and its Relevance to Product Evaluation and Choice

Deborah J. MacInnis & Gustavo E. de Mello

Executive Summary
Hope is a positive emotion felt in response to an outcome that is yearned for and deemed possible. This conceptual paper sheds light on the relevance of hope to consumer behavior, marketing, and public policy. First, the concept of hope is defined as an emotion tied to future states consumers yearn to achieve, and although uncertain, are deemed possible. Second, a series of marketing communications tactics are identified that can stimulate hope in consumers, such as (a) suggesting new possibilities in a product, in the consumer, or in the process; (b) enhancing the importance of yearned outcome; or (c) enhancing the desirability of the outcome. Finally, it is suggested that hope influences the relationship between (a) product involvement and product evaluation; (b) product performance and satisfaction; and (c) advertised risks or warnings and choice. In particular, it is suggested that hope tends to lead to more favorable evaluations of products that present themselves as means to achieving the hoped-for outcome, and that favorable evaluations may even persist in cases where the product has not performed in an entirely satisfactory manner. Furthermore, it is suggested that hope may make consumers less sensitive to risks involved in product usage. The richness and potential of the concept of hope to provide insight into consumer behavior, marketing practice, and public/social policy merits further research into this most human of emotions.