That hit me oddly.
You’re devoted to a person or a cause or whatever and with no hope to ever attain it? Well, that doesn’t make sense. Can you choose what you are devoted to? You’d think so. You can devote yourself to your work, to your significant other, to your family, to your beliefs. You can devote yourself to yourself! But isn’t that devotion something that is supposed to GIVE you hope?
Hope is to Desire with the expectation of attainment or fulfillment.
Hope is to Expect with confidence.
Devotion is the Fact or state of being dedicated and loyal.
Therefore Hopelessly devoted means you are being dedicated and loyal without any chance of attainment or fulfillment. It is a contradiction of terms. Why would anyone choose to do that? Ahhhhh. A Stalker!
It may be just my opinion, but I think anyone that is Hopelessly Devoted to anything is creepy.
Measureable progress 
Actually, I don’t think a stalker would be hopelessly devoted. I think a stalker believes that they WILL get what they want.
But you are right – it’s kind of sad to be hopelessly devoted. I would say that people who lack confidence might fit the profile. People with dependent personalities, etc.
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