Even though our world seems to be moving toward improvement, we feel increasingly desperate and depressed. This is what Mark Manson calls “the paradox of progress.” While technological progress has improved our lives, it has also hindered our self-fulfillment. We’re facing the hopelessness epidemic, struggling to find meaning in a world full of negativity and disappointment.

Manson shares a story of a man who knew a lot about hoping despite the circumstances. After the Nazis and Soviets invaded Poland, Witold Pilecki co-founded The Secret Polish Army. They learned that the mass disappearance of Polish officers was connected to a prison complex named Auschwitz. Pilecki volunteered to infiltrate it, planning a mutiny and breakout. In spite of witnessing inhumane conditions, he built a resistance unit and successfully escaped from Auschwitz. He kept his hope alive, knowing he was helping create a better future for others.

Such a level of hope is heroic, but it also seems distant and unrelatable to most. That’s why Manson introduces us to “The Uncomfortable Truth.” He notes that if he worked at Starbucks, he wouldn’t write people’s names on their cups of coffee. No, their morning lattes would come with the reminder: one day, we are all going to die, but we keep avoiding this fact. In the grand scheme of things, human existence is meaningless. And although this sounds disheartening, it’s actually the most liberating insight.

We need hope because otherwise, we’re doomed. Our personal hope narratives keep us moving forward and keep us alive. They provide a framework for us to interpret our experiences and make sense of the world. By hoping, we protect ourselves from The Uncomfortable Truth. This is one of the reasons why religion has such power over people of all ages.

If we ask ourselves what the opposite of happiness is, the answer isn’t sadness. The opposite of happiness is hopelessness, the lack of meaning and purpose. Hopelessness is the root cause of almost all human suffering, such as depression, addiction, and anxiety. So, how do we sustain our sense of hope? We need to feel that we are in control of our life, believe in the value of something, and have a community. These three things are interconnected, which means losing one equals losing all of them, leading to losing hope.