Is there a place for hope in an age of wanton destruction? What might the ability to maintain hope in the face of cruelty and despair tell us about the human condition? Drawing on a series of illustrations, from global political activists to intellectual refugees from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, we will examine what it means to move from a position of vulnerability to resistance amidst the cruelest of circumstances. We will distinguish hope from optimism and consider the ethical responsibility we have toward others. Above all, we will examine the role of sociality and compassion for countering forces of destruction and maintaining a sense of humanity. The kind of hope we will describe emerges out of vulnerability but is oriented toward action and purpose and the betterment of society.