The writer Kim Stanley Robinson says, “It’s crucial to keep imagining that things could get better, and furthermore to imagine how they might get better.” Do you agree? Is utopian thinking the key to overcoming dystopia? Consider the definitions carefully.
I agree with Stanley. I think it is so important to keep a positive mind even in the midst of hard times. One’s mindset is the only thing you can control. If you believe that things will go badly, they most likely will. However, if you keep things positive and believe they will get better, your mind will subconsciously make things better. Looking up is the key to staying up. Utopian thinking may not be how I would word this sort of thinking. Positive and utopian may sound similar but I don’t believe they are. If you are trying to overcome a dystopia, I think utopian thinking could be the answer. For example if you imagine ways to make your society different along the lines of something towards a utopia, it may be beneficial to think that way if your current state is a dystopia. However, if you’re just thinking that a utopia is the answer to all of your problems, I don’t necessarily think that is the way to go. Utopias may seem great on the surface level but when everything is “equal” and systems are in place to try to eliminate any reason for dissatisfaction, ultimately problems will arise because as humans we will always want more.
