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Utopias and dystopias can exist side by side, even in the same moment. Which one you're in depends entirely on your point of view.
Naomi Alderman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Our perception shapes our reality, determining whether we see the world as ideal or nightmarish.

This quote by Naomi Alderman highlights the subjective nature of human experience, suggesting that the distinction between utopia and dystopia is not based on absolute truths but rather on individual perspectives. It implies that one's viewpoint can influence whether they perceive their environment as positive or negative, stressing the importance of attitude and mindset in shaping our reality.

Themes

PerceptionUtopiaDystopiaPerspectiveReality

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about mindset, this quote can illustrate how our outlook can transform our experiences.

More from Naomi Alderman

Writers of feminist dystopian fiction are alert to the realities that grind down women's lives, that make the unthinkable suddenly thinkable.
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When a marriage founders, this may well be cause for tremendous sadness, but it's not a failure of spirit or character. People change, their goals and dreams alter, their ideas of themselves grow, or they just meet someone they like better.
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The demands of having to be 'masculine' are as damaging to men as the demands of having to be 'feminine' are to women. I wish we could all agree just to wash it all away. Begin again.
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One of the hardest challenges posed by the modern world is how to deal with abundance. It's even harder to confront because admitting that it's a problem seems spoiled.
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I hope that there are many more women out there writing bits of feminist sci-fi. And men, also - men are allowed to write feminist things.
Naomi AldermanRead
The arts are valuable because they increase our sense of what it means to be human, not because of any specific skill or ability they confer.
Naomi AldermanRead

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