I think that what torments people, regarding hope, is when you reach the point of thinking that hope itself is enough to get things done. Hope is not an action. There is no active hope, unless you take that hope and imagine a path through it to get what you are hoping to have.
A-fucking-men.
Though it does have its drawbacks, when they say "you'll never understand what it's like," and you know it to be true.
Though, you have to cultivate a sense of ignoring that type of comment. I did very early on, and that has made a BIG difference for me. Nothing, puts naysayers in their place then a studied "indifference", or a "Your an idiot, <shrug>, or the classic phrase, "WHATEVER" or even a pointed, "Yeah, Right." After which you walk away or return to the task at hand, pointedly ignoring said jerkoff.