“Love” is the obvious answer, and it’s not wrong, but it’s not exactly right either, because it’s possible to be the object of unwanted love. It’s also a tricky word that means different things to different people. Love can mean that I think the object of my love can do something for me — give me pleasure or keep me safe. Do we hope that other human beings will view as a free candy machine distributing pleasure, or a powerful military robot? Only if we are terrified of being ignored and that is the only way to achieve that goal — otherwise to be viewed that way is highly inconvenient.
Another possible answer is “assistance in achieving our goals”. That is certainly, by definition, a response we hope for from everything we run across. If they’re our goals we by definition want to achieve them, and, therefore, welcome assistance from everything — things, animals, and people — while at the same time we are displeased with frustration. By the way, that does not make us bad people if our goals are good. Think about a noble person dedicating herself to ending famine — nothing wrong with her evaluating the people she meets by asking the question “are they part of the problem or part of the solution”.
Nevertheless it’s not an entirely good answer because it does not tell us what we hope from people as people, as opposed to something else — organizations, tools, sums of money, things, or animals.
What sort of response do we hope from human beings that only human beings can give us?
My guess is we hope human beings will foster our freedom.
Eric Linus Kaplan 
This post made me think. What do I hope for? Respect was the first thing to come to mind. Respect can come in many forms: love, compassion, friendship, aid, attention, the list goes on. But, on the same token, do *I* give the very thing that I hope for? I try to, to some extent. Upon closer scrutiny – I find I fall short.
Another something to work on!
Remember the film “As Good as It Gets” Nicholson and Hunt? Hard work (not hope) got the Response they needed. They were damaged human beings who helped one another to enjoy living…… Big human response.
As Sophia would say: Picture this: A night at the Oscars. You’re both all dressed up and having a nice but obligated time talking with the beautiful people, the evening passes and you are ready to leave. You look for your partner, lo and behold, there they are, across the room smiling and looking straight at you, too. Great human response.
” Think about a noble person dedicating herself to ending famine – nothing wrong with her evaluating the people she meets by asking the question “are they part of the problem or part of the solution”. – – – They don’t have a problem, it’s her goal not theirs. How arrogant is she to evaluate and judge other people by their support of her goals? Her defining them is not noble, nor is it fostering their freedom. IMO a non-desirable response.
It’s not so complicated. I think we receive the responses we deserve 🙂
I have received many a response I did not deserve– both better than and worse than.
💜…(coming straight from the Heart)
Wazzup Eric? How ya feeling today?
…I’m so Grateful that Mayim shared you & your posts with the Twitterverse😎The Philosophical Aerobics have been invigorating!
@ the Empathy Institute we believe that Empathy is Four different things (a Practice, a Language, an Action & a Need…a PLAN if you will). The emotional need for Empathy is the desire to be Seen, to be Heard & to be Understood.
…I do enjoy Love (which is both a Feeling & a Need) and I do enjoy Support (of my dreams/goals). What I really enjoy, however, is an Empathic response from another Human Being!
They don’t need to agree, they don’t need to fix and they don’t need “help” in that moment. But Understanding my POV & what I’m going through…BOOM…I get chills just thinking about how great that feels.
…watcha think about ‘Empathic Response’ as an option to your query? (Btw, I LOVE going to Lake Shrine and I had no idea that some of Bapu’s ashes were there, so thank you for that)
Sincerely, Tony Scruggs
ideally we serve as portals for each other