The Two Worst Words in the English Language: Hoping and Trying
Some words sound harmless. They sneak into conversations, make you feel like you’re doing something, and give others the illusion that you’re committed. But peel the mask off, and you’ll see two of the most destructive words in the English language – hoping and trying.
Hoping is just outsourcing responsibility to the universe. It’s the linguistic equivalent of sitting on the couch while wishing the house would clean itself. When someone says, “I hope it works out,” what they really mean is: “I’ve decided not to do anything about it and will now wait for someone else – or blind luck – to save me.” Hope belongs in lotteries and prayer rooms, not in boardrooms, relationships, or any arena where outcomes actually matter.
Trying is even more insidious because it masquerades as effort. But it’s really the soft escape hatch for people who don’t want to admit they’re not invested. You “try” the new hobby, you “try” the new café, you “try” yoga. Harmless, low-stakes, no skin in the game. But when it comes to the big stuff – building a business, raising a child, fighting an addiction, leading a team – there’s no “trying.” You either do it or you don’t. Anything less is self-deception dressed as activity.
Here’s the brutal truth:
If you’re hoping, you’re waiting.
If you’re trying, you don’t care enough.
So the next time these words slip out of your mouth, stop and ask yourself: Am I avoiding action? Am I pretending to care about something I actually don’t? Because when it comes to the things that truly matter, there is no room for hope or trying. There is only doing.
The world doesn’t change with “hope.” It changes with execution. And nobody ever built a legacy by “trying.
