[The author's note] When we are about to lose "Hong Kong", a brief discussion on "powerlessness" and "hope"

Hello everyone, greetings from Hong Kong.

Recently, Hong Kong has lost "Apple Daily", the editorial articles of "Stand News" and the videos of "852 Post" have been removed from the shelves, and RTHK has stopped producing "Five Nights Lectures", "Viewpoint 31" and other enlightening programs. Everything was rushed but could have been predicted, and we are heading for the "new Hong Kong" under the "National Security Law".

The article published in Matt City has been shared, and I used to be a feature reporter. At that time, the Hong Kong News Group was eager to reveal the current situation of society, eager to bring individuals closer through text and images, so that change begins with understanding the stories around them. Readers are good, read the report appreciatively, and leave a message to share their reflections. It was the first time I saw the power of "reporting". Now, seeing the media in Hong Kong go bankrupt one by one, it is indeed very sad and powerless.

Feeling powerless is the daily life of journalists. The closer you look at society, the more you feel small and ruthless. Perhaps too powerless to escape, I once left the profession of journalists and threw myself into the sea of books.

When reporters put down their pen and paper, they just listen and don't remember.

I went to study social work and one of the lessons talked about "hope".

The case is a group of addicts who have tasted the joys of heaven and been the pawns of hell because of drugs. I lost my job and my family, my dignity and my ego countless times. Sitting in a drug rehab group, how does group therapy convince them that they can start over? Therapist Irvin D. Yalom proposes eleven "Therapeutic factors," one of which is "Instillation of hope."

What is "hope"?

The "hope" cylinder contains "willpower" and "sense of competence" (Snyder, 1994). When people believe in themselves and feel that they have the ability to achieve their ideals, they have "hope"; on the contrary, despair stems from the perception that one is incompetent and that the ideal is out of reach. The subtlety is that "hope" makes people unconsciously improve their abilities and overcome the challenges that they could not overcome. Therefore, the more desperate people are, the more they need "hope" in order to escape from the predicament.

If you are desperate, like a patient with terminal cancer, it is impossible to get better in this life? "Hope Rebuilding" formulates hope as a "verb" (Weingarten, 2010). Instead of basing "hope" on results, we do not seek to have hope, but rather do hope . The client still recognizes the desire and establishes an action plan, but the hope is rooted in the process of action to control who am I (who am I) and the process of self-realization . Regardless of whether or not he can finally set foot on the desired land, at least he did not bend his knees and clenched his will and courage.

In group therapy, group members work together towards "self-realization". When seeing positive changes in people with similar backgrounds and destiny, individuals are motivated and have "hope" for their own progress. Of course, group therapy is also full of variables and failures. Fortunately, there are people on the way to grow up, and along the way learn to accept yourself, accept others, and embrace impermanence.

If you are from Hong Kong, I want to tell you:

Facing today's Hong Kong, the reunion of individuals may not be able to bring about changes. Some words can no longer be said. But instead of despair, we plant our hope in seeing the reality of society, let go of false hope, choose our own role in the decay, and gradually practice it. When you are lost and sad, let me catch you, face the unknown and uncertainty together, and sincerely hope to meet you in the promised place one day.

Finally, I am very grateful to the citizens of Matt City for allowing me to connect with people from all over the world again through text. Just like the previous self-introduction, in addition to publishing old topics, I am also working hard to invite interviewees, and hope to publish new interviews soon. Until then, welcome to tell me what you want to know about Hong Kong. If you are from Hong Kong and want to write down your story in Hong Kong, I am also looking forward to meeting you.

Take care and give advice at the same time.

Weingarten, K. (2010). Reasonable Hope: Construct, Clinical Applications, and Supports. Family Process, 49(1), 5-25.

Yalom, I., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

Snyder, C. (1994). The psychology of hope : You can get there from here. New York: Free Press.