I enjoyed reading Robinson’s essay because it gave a different perspective on the world and its relationship to dystopia and utopia. He used something we view as fiction and inserted it into the current real world. In his essay, he describes a few types of thinkers related to this topic: Dystopian, Utopian, Anti-utopian, and Anti-anti-utopian. It is known what defines dystopian and utopian thinking, but not what is meant by anti-utopian and anti-anti-utopian. Robinson defines anti-utopian thinking as viewing utopia as an all-bad state that will only end in political chaos or a state under complete control. Anti-anti-utopian thinking is referred to as believing bad situations will always get better after a bad moment occurs.
I would have to say that I probably lie within anti-anti-utopian thinking. Robinson claimed that this type of thinking involves knowing that work is required but instead of dwelling on it, you should think positively of the future and next steps. I agree with this because there is no point in letting a bad situation or moment affect so much of your mind or thinking. I believe it is better to see that moment for what it is and move on from it thinking and believing that things get better. I did not think that I would be taking time off between undergrad and medical school but here I am. This definitely was not my preferred path, but I know that things will be okay regardless. I will be able to use my time off to expand my experience both professionally and personally. Cruel optimism is also a concern because certain things do not get better just because you believe they will. A lot of times, work is required for a better outcome, but the better outcome is nine times out of ten attainable. This is why I know that as long as I use this time wisely, I can accomplish my goals.
This way of thinking has been how I have lived my life for a while. I put trust in God and into the universe that as long as I am putting in the effort or correcting my mistakes, good things and good karma are coming. It is also fair to say that I think this way because of my spiritual beliefs but many people who trust in a higher power follow the same if not a similar way of thinking. In my opinion, it is naïve to think things will always be good or always be bad. I believe it is better to accept those bad situations for what they are and know that something good is coming as long as you put in some effort.
