Reality is holonic: wholes that are simultaneously parts of larger wholes. I am me AND I am us. I can be loyal to my self-interests AND realize my interests and yours are tied. I can compete on the field AND hug you after the game. Both/and thinking dissolves false binaries.
The heartbreak is real. The sorrow is real. The obstacles are real. Climate change is real. Inequality is entrenched. The capacity for harm has never been higher. These things are true. They are also not the whole truth. AND: the capacity for coordination is higher. The awareness is higher. The will to change exists in millions of us.
The wager is this: if you believe things are inevitably bad and you're wrong, your belief contributed to making things worse. But if you believe a different future is possible and you're wrong, you lived with more energy, more purpose, more connection. You were part of something.
Despair is accurate about the present obstacles. But despair about inevitability is a prediction, not an observation. Giving up guarantees loss. Belief at least leaves the door open. It keeps the game playable.